After the collaboration of the members of The National and Menomena (aka Pfarmers), the time has come for The National and Beirut to work on their craft together. Scott and Bryan Devendorf from The National and Ben Lanz from Beirut formed LNZNDRF and released the self-titled debut. The sound of Pfamers was inclined towards Menomena, while the sound of LNZNDRF is biased towards The National, although not persistently.
Guitarists of The National put their guitars in the spotlight for the LNZNDRF, albeit they serve post-rock here, instead of indie. When it comes to style, the band can be characterized as a post-rock influenced by post-punk and space-rock. Boys have insisted on the intrusion of sound and memorable guitars, and this is how we got eight similar songs (which did not turn out to be a bad thing). LNZNDRF is like an eccentric brother of The National, a little bit more eclectic and aberrant. There is no threat of melancholy on the album, neither the gypsy vibe of Beirut. Boys decided to create something that does not resemble the original sound of their indigenous bands.
In forage for their music expression, LNZNDRF reached out for a peculiar mix of post-punk riffs, psychedelic distortions and space-rock arrangements. The result is a solid release, albeit we could say that ambitious were higher than realizations.
The opening track Future You is an intriguing number. The only flaw is its length. Btw, every song is over five minutes, which makes you somewhat bored. The following track is Beneath The Black Sea, and it is definitely my favorite because it represents the self-actualized potential of the above mentioned amalgam of the genres. Catchy chorus and eclectic sound is the best herald of the antic The National moment.
I should also mention Hypno-Skate. Such a captivating track, although a bit pretentious. Kind Things and Monument standout from the rest of the record, but not in a good way.
LNZNDRF is a band with a potential. Will they fully realize it? To be continued…
