Lyndenthal, unknown to me until now, is a band from Milwaukee in the United States, that has existed since 2008 and was founded by Terry Michaels (keyboards, guitars and vocals) and Mark Krueger (guitars). Their first full-fledged album Provenance is now available in digital form and on CD. Provenance by the way, means an indication of the documented origin of certain goods, just so you know. The great thing about writing a review without prejudice is that there is a good chance that those who read it feel the same way. So what has this release in store for us? It is immediately noticeable that we are not dealing with a typical American sounding band where a smoothed-out production kills all emotion and dynamics. If I would say that the sound is quite British, many would certainly agree. Still, I'm not very enthusiastic about the quality of the whole production, but that will certainly have to do with having a limited budget. Especially the drums that sound a bit muffled and occasionally the vocals are just not pleasant to listen to. Due to the fact that almost all band members are vocalists, some tracks are a bit more enjoyable in terms of vocals than others, but as you know, complete books can be written about the differences in appreciation of singers. For those who would like to hear some references, I end up with bands like Camel, Caravan or even more, IQ and those certainly are no unpleasant references. The progrock of the 70s/80s seems to have served as a big influence for the chosen atmosphere. Partly due to the large number of guitar and keyboard solos, Provenance makes up for a real prog rock album, but of the more melodic kind. The length of the tracks also leaves room for many instrumental passages and they are often very pleasant. The short opener and title track is an instrumental piece that starts off with some piano but is soon accompanied by a full range of keyboards. Overall, the balance between keys and guitars is well chosen, especially the keys are very nice and Another typical Day is a perfect sample of what Lyndenthal has to offer. Are the guitar parts of the same level? Difficult to say because there are several band members who play my favourite instrument and therefore there is a lot of variation but also a great difference in what appeals to me, so not everything indeed. The style of playing does not always feel to fit the music, but that may be quite personal. I already addressed the vocals, sometimes they are on the edge of acceptable and sometimes they are quite beautiful. When the harmony vocals start, you can hear the potential and I would urge them to use this more often. Innocent is a good example of this and the guitar solo at the end is nicely jubilant. It's certainly a consistent album because there are no really weak songs on it and also in terms of style they don't choose to differ too much and I like that. Every now and then they choose to rock a bit more, like in Wavelengths, but that's the exception rather than the rule. Melody is paramount and technically all band members reach a good level. I wasn't completely blown away but I will be happy to listen to Provenance again. On the cover we see something of a house of horror and an old oilrig and these may be references to some of the lyrics in which a longing for older times shines through. The subjects are quite divers as Love Song is about, well.....ehh love and Lunar Base speaks for itself. All in all, a decent release with many enjoyable moments, but also enough room for improvement, especially the production and sound could use a more open, transparent sound. I do think the best is yet to come. *** Erik Fraanje (edited by Dave Smith) Where to buy? |
