The last time we heard from Lucid Fly was when we received a copy of their magnificent ‘Escape Stage EP’ back in 2012 (the EP itself was released in 2009). This year a copy of their first full-length album has landed on our desk less than a year after it’s November 2016 release. (No one sent us 2015’s ‘Stasis’ but I’ll bet that was good too). Still better late than never…
Lucid Fly are one of those bands that are hard to adequately define: part Prog, part Alt-Rock, quirky and dark they manage to cook up music that tells a story drenched in experimentation that may be dark at its edges but deep down in resolutely optimistic. Sonically its a stew that ironically for a band from L.A. sounds far more modern Australian than it does ‘City of Angels’, now part of that may be the Forrester Savell connection being that he’s produced both Dead Letter Circus and Perth’s Karnivool along with bands like Twelve Foot Ninja.
Singer Nikki Layne and guitarist Doug Mecca on the basis of this album and their three previous EP’s are a song writing pair to reckon with and manage to combine Nikki’s unique vocal style with a lot of guitar experimentation – using tones, dynamics, layers and feedback to paint those pictures.
Sounding like a band with 16 years under their belt this has been a long time coming for fans and funded via a successful crowd funding campaign its finally out there and is I have to say a rather fine statement of intent.
On the ten tracks here you get a wonderfully dynamic mix of Prog, Alt-Rock, Goth, and Hard Rock which Lucid Fly weave into a many layered sound. ‘Billowy and Broken’ opens the album with a relaxed instrumental entrance to a solid slow rocker that really showcases that sound. It’s ‘Circles into Squares’ though that puts the foot down a little more firmly replete with complex guitar work and a real Coheed and Cambria like sound (and its not just me everyone I played it to made that connection). By the time we hear the opening notes to ‘Mascot’ and its modern layered dark rock sound you know you’re in safe hands and can just relax and enjoy.
As you get deeper the complexity and depth become even more apparent: there’s the powerful and very Prog ‘No I In Voice’ which may be a little too far to push the boat out for some; it’s closely followed by the heavier ‘Ribbons and the rather lavish and epic ‘Visions of Grandeur’ the most impressive piece here – an the way I’d love to see these guys take things.
The album gets moodier as it closes out with ‘Follow Through’ mellow and moody and ‘The opposite’ slower and moody, separated only by the much heavier ‘Next to Strange’. We close out with ‘Paperthin’ a song which sports some of the best and most creative guitar you’ll hear all year.
If you’ve heard Lucid Fly’s EP’s before then this album is the natural progression – lavish and complex with moments of beauty offset by blunt force. And if I’d heard it last year when released it would have been very near the top of my list of Best albums for 2016.
Track Listing: 1. Billowy and Broken 2. Circles Into Squares 3. Mascot 4. No I In Voice 5. Ribbons 6. Visions of Grandeur 7. Follow Through 8. Next To Strange 9. The Opposite 10. Paperthin
Website: www.lucidfly.com