Lifeguard - Dressed in Trenches
Matador Records
Lifeguard, the raucous three-piece hailing from Chicago, Illinois, consist of Asher Case on bass and vocals, Kai Slater on guitar and vocals, and Isaac Lowenstein on assault and battery - drums. These guys pack a despondent gut punch. Why is it that three-piece outfits always seem to be the tightest, and often times the best, of them all?
Dissonant guitars rise like rockets and fall like the aftermath of fireworks - what goes up must come down. Soaking up the sights on the way down. Beautiful, while it lasts. Seconds of bliss met with an eternity of anguish. What could have been. What was. Will it ever be again?
Rhythms roll and rumble. Forward we go - toward the inevitable end. Put the blinders on. Leave disappointment where it lies - in the dirt. A definite Unwound influence comes through in the despondent nature of the vocal performance. Dejected and dissatisfied, a numbness permeates. The dissonant guitars radiate a restlessness. An abject upheaval of the norm. The floor beneath your feet no longer supports the reality that you once thrived in. The rules of the game have changed, yet again. Yesterdays standard has become today’s new low. Beyond the pale, below the bar. Sub-par happenings present themselves all around. Take them on board at your own peril. Your seeds will sew. Keep a steady eye on them. They grow on their own. The ones you want, and the ones you don't. The latter requires less attention to flourish. Weeds and seeds. Pull them up and plant them - uproot the restlessness, while you can.
A sluggish energy. Dragging your feet - heavy, smog-filled lungs. Poisoned saliva. Crippled fingers. Wayward legs. Tired at the top of the hour. I'll do what needs done, but it won't be a joyous occasion. Go figure. Forced to live, forced to die.
With a sophomore release on the horizon, there's a special feeling streaming through these channels. Feel the tangible gold dust that fills the air - grab a handful while you can.
These walls have windows. But there's nothing to see inside.
