|
Lakota, a New York City punk-rock outfit, makes their first
full-length album with Hope For The Haunted. The band's profile
on their label's web site claims that Lakota takes a "classic
melodic punk" sound and injects it with their own style, but
this is only partially true. More than anything, Lakota sounds like
their influences (Jimmy Eat World, Alkaline Trio, Green
Day) and provides pretty standard power-punk fare with a touch
of the melodic. It may be good listening for cruising down the highway,
but overall it's difficult to distinguish Lakota from rest of the
pack.
To their credit, however, Lakota does have a good pop sensibility
that gives way to accessibility for listeners not crazy about punk
or emo. With the driving title track that opens the album, Hope...
comes flying fast out of the gates and never lets up until the penultimate
number, "Wait And See" (the album's only acoustic track).
And as with most punk bands, the bass chugs along prominently from
the fingers of Carlos Ramirez.
Guitarist Kayne Konecny sings with all the emotive, aggressive
insistency that's expected from this genre, but without the snot and
snark. His lyrics, while not always intelligible, are usually confrontational
and focused outwardly. They're also more negative than positive; on
"Ember", Konecny promises that "There will be no happy
ending".
Lakota has gradually gained a following through extensive touring
in the Northeast U.S. With Hope For The Haunted, there may
also be no rest for the weary in the coming months. But for Lakota,
it should be a good kind of tired.
-Ken Devine
Standout Tracks: "Perfect Faith"
Track Listing:
1. Hope For The Haunted
2. She Has It
3. Quiet Like Graves
4. Slow Fade
5. Jolene The Calamity Queen
6. Video You
7. Ember
8. Make / Break
9. Perfect Faith
10. Ornaments
11. Wait And See
12. Holiday Heart
Check out more
reviews
 Talk
Back
e-mail the chief
Like this article?
e-mail
it to a friend!
|
Lakota
