Girl at the Rock Shows

I finally get back to the grind of live shows tonight and I couldn’t be more excited. It’s been nice to have some time off but I’ve found myself bored and spending more money at the bar than I probably should so to get back in the routine of going to a show almost every night has me excited and ready to take on the world. This also means getting into the habit of reviewing an album before I head out the door to check out a show so, before I head downtown on this cold and snowy Wednesday evening, let’s check out the debut self-titled EP from the LVP.

The first track on this EP is “Looks Like Team Rocket’s Baja Blasting Off Again” which, right off the bat, had me intrigued. I know it’s a long song title and a bit of a funny one but the pop-punk girl in me figured this was a sign of a good song and I was right. After an almost ambient introduction, super smooth yet emotive vocals come in and whisk you away into the LVP’s world. As the song moves forward, more and more parts come in creating an electric energy that wakes you up but doesn’t get too in your face to make you feel a sense of aggression or anything like that until you hit the one minute and twenty second mark. That’s when everything changes and the once calm and almost ambient vibe is replaced by pure angst and aggression. Even with this move to something a bit more chaotic, there is no point in this opening track where I felt a threatening vibe which was exactly what I needed. That jolt of energy and aggression without changing my mood too severly.

“Suicide is Tax Evasion”– another catchy title– starts with an almost Refused feeling introduction. Although I feel like it’s not a right comparison, I feel like there are subtle elements to the LVP’s sound that remind me a bit of bands like Refused which definitely has me intrigued. The vocals of this song have more of a 90s influence to them than the previous song which was a huge selling point for me. An explosive and heartfelt chorus catches you right in the throat when it comes to this second song from the LVP but that’s not the only thing that will get stuck in your head. The guitarwork in this song is dazzling without trying to be anything more than what it is. Instead of filling up beats with as many notes as the band could, the LVP creates harmonies and constrast with the guitars in an almost metal way which is such a cool element that I didn’t hear as clearly in the opening track although I’m sure it was in there.

At six minutes long, the third track on this album, “Raspberry”, is a bit lengthy but I really like what the LVP did with the time in this song. Although it definitely feels like one cohesive song, I love how there seem to be multiple movements creating a constant motion in this song. Sure, it’s six minutes long but it’s one of those long songs that somehow keeps you engaged throughout the whole thing in such a brilliant way. I’m not going to give all the lyrics away because that’s just not my style but I really liked the honest nature of them in this track. I found this song instantly relatable with the line, “Hey I like your t-shirt. Tell me where’d you get it”. I mean, I know that’s not the deepest line of words but there is just something so honest and raw about the words and the delivery of them. Just when you think you have this song figured out, the LVP switches things and turns this boppy little jam into something a bit more serious and dissonant but, again, it’s just the charm of what the band has done with the six minutes of this track.

The fourth song on this album, “Deepest, Darkest”, comes with a music video. Although I typically wait and watch the video after I review a song, I thought it would be fun to watch this song play out quite literally and it added a sense of magic that I wasn’t quite expecting. Again, not going to give it all away but this already powerful track reaches an all new high when watching the video. It’s not a super complicated video but the imagery they used mixed with the live footage of the band playing through this song really helps set a scene for not only this song, but all of the other songs on this EP. Out of all of the songs on this EP, “Deepest, Darkest” is my favorite. I love the angst and emotion that comes through loud and clear with or without the video. You get a sense of desperation from the vocals and instrumentation at times but, at others, can feel an almost meditative sense of calm in the song. It’s such a cool contrast and so very dramatic yet accessible making it such a relatable song.

Closing out ‘the LVP EP’ is “Fire on the Tracks”. Another length track at just a hair under five and a half minutes, I felt a sense of tenderness of the LVP in this song that I didn’t quite get in the others. I loved that, although the last song, the LVP proved that they have reasons for you to keep listening and want so much more from them by playing this hidden “tenderness card”. Although I call this song tender, that doesn’t mean you don’t also get the LVP’s signature blend of angst and slight aggression. It just comes in and out in a different way creating a lush atmosphere of emotion that will certainly catch you in a way you weren’t quite expecting.

‘the LVP EP’ made me feel much more than I thought I would. Honestly, I figured this would be an easy listen and something to just kind of give me that burst of energy that I needed to get to my show tonight but, the fact is, once I was left in the silence of my house (outside of dinner being cooked and the cats screaming for dinner), I was lost in my head just thinking about a little bit of everything. I don’t think I realized the influence that these five tracks had on my mind or the depth of the musical journey that the LVP took me on throughout this release but I know that this feeling is a feeling I only get after checking out a truly stunning and monumental piece of art.

The EP isn’t out quite yet but is coming out soon on January 19th on all platforms. Please pre-save it on Spotify so you don’t miss a single moment of listening to this magic!

PRE-SAVE THE ALBUM HERE!

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