Lorquin's Admirals's existence was deftly kept under wraps for those not in the immediate know, including yours truly, until all the stars aligned for the official unveiling to happen. And that's a great approach, if you ask me. Hit everyone unbeknownst without any prior media build-up until the time is right. The band consists of husband and wife Dandy and Dawn Brown on vocals; Marlon King on guitar; Nick Hannon on bass guitar and Steve Earle on drums. Basically an amalgamation of The Fizz Fuzz, Hermano, Yawning Sons and Sons Of Alpha Centauri. Dave Angstrom and Mark Engel guests on guitar as well adding even more colour to the palette. And what they offer is nothing but spectacular! Think of a cutting edge blend of Screaming Trees, Garbage, punk as well as infusions of the members' other bands. It might sound like quite a disarray of influences but on the contrary. The music moves and flows seamlessly and immediately grabs hold of your attention and locks in to never let go.
This self-titled debut begins with the captivating 'My Blue Wife'. Sharp riffs guide the song as the band rocks with no abandon while Dandy candidly professes his love for Dawn. The pace drops just a notch on the excellent 'Inexplicable Things' those nice riffs remain. It is sultry and seductive yet pretty intense as Dawn reels you into her web. You get a chance to breathe and ponder the experience so far with the beautiful and dreamy 'Could Have Been Forever'. Musically it's as if you're floating on clouds and finding solace and peace. Lyrically it's reminiscing on decisions made and what could have been done differently, but what is done is done. That's my perception and I could be wrong. Lorquin's Admiral are proponents of great guitar tones and riffs which is none more evident in 'Black Water'. The mesmerizing rhythm guitar leads the way with the lead playing solos on top from start to finish. Add Dandy's phrasing which brings to mind Mark Lanegan and you have this great composition. 'My Blue Husband' ups the ante by rocking hard and fast while Dawn professes her love for Dandy. Oh, and what a brilliant solo!
'Aren't We' brings a slower pace with darker undertones musically all while being minimalistic in approach. Just listen to the guitar in 'Burn And Heal', wonderful. Combined with Dawn's mainly desperate voice the song still offers respite and hope. In 'These Lovely Things' Dandy sings about you asking your partner to embrace the love you have for each other and ride it out. It is tight and mid-paced tempo-wise and stunning! In album closer 'To Temptation' the interaction between the semi-acoustic rhythm guitar and the lead guitarist beyond words as Lorquin's Admiral pleads: ”hold off the temptation because we have something really great going on”.
I love it when a band shows up out of nowhere and immediately knocks me off my feet. And that's exactly what Lorquin's Admiral did and keep doing. This band is living proof how well musicians from different walks of life actually can congregate and give birth to something as great as this album, and that is so uplifting. Personally I think most times when this occurs, a new band forms with known and celebrated musicians, there's too much push and pull between the members' individual will and want for the recording to turn out good. This however is not the case with Lorquin's Admiral at all. Just listen to this debut and you know what I mean. Not only is the music on point the lyrics are focused on being uplifting and bring hope and happiness something the band has succeeded in displaying perfectly. Speaking of the music, a lot has been said about the vocals and guitars but lets not forget the magnificent rhythm section. To me the bass guitar and drums are like a blues setup, tight as hell and minimalistic. What I mean is they don't play every not but instead lets silence play a part and that takes talent to perform.
Now, to round off....go out and obtain a copy of this brilliant debut. Let Lorquin's Admiral's brilliant creation sweep you away and rejoice in the healing properties the band offers!
-Swedebeast
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