April 29, 2021
Hi there! If you’re reading this, I guess you’re looking for the best Debut Albums out there… well, it seems it’s your lucky day! Allow me to introduce Locust French, a multi instrumentalist (guitar, bass, drums, vocals, moog) from Jerome, Arizona. In 2019, he began working on his solo project Lazer Beam; this led him to perform at festivals and to record some songs late at night in the woods during the last few years. His self-titled debut album is now out, so let’s give it a review!
The first track of the album, Sink Or Swim, introduces the strong instrumental approach and the dark, energetic mood that can be found in Lazer Beam’s music; there are lots of surprising elements (such as the harmonic minor twists in certain melodies towards the end) that will keep your interest throughout the whole album. Following up, the calmer, grunge-reminiscent In The Moonlight presents some classic rock riffs before a nice, vintage fade-out paves the way for the theatric build-up and sudden changes in tempo and rhythm on Don’t Tell (I really liked the contrasts between the lighter lyrical motives and the chorus). Sno Burn (previously covered on this blog) is an ode to chaos with clear influences from the past, while still feeling quite fresh. YOU DRIVE ME CRAZY is fueled by a heavy psychedelic groove and lots of madness, a track not to be missed, for sure.
Now, for the second part of the album; Take Me Home is an upbeat song full of those ever-changing rhythmic patterns that characterize Locust’s sound; while the style in this one feels slightly more pop-oriented at times, it also includes one of the best guitar solos from the record. Damn The Reptiles might be my favorite track of “LAZER BEAM”, as this futuristic, rhapsodic venture explores form and rhythmic exchanges amazingly; some brilliant sci-fi rock energy here. We then get another take on juxtaposition of strong instrumental motives and soft vocal sections in Silver, as well as more of the eclectic fusion of sounds that make up the album. Beware now, as the next track is insanely good; Adam And Eve embodies the creative prowess of Locust within a few minutes of explosive, unpredictable transitions and theme developments so dynamic and unheard of… quite climatic, and a great way of arriving at Call To Arms, the closing song of this sophisticated, bizarre and unique experience called “LAZER BEAM”.
“The whole album is varied in style and sound, touching all of my influences from when I was a kid… it’s a desert rock record with a ton of different influences and styles ranging from Queens of the Stone Age, to pop rock like Royal Blood.”
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By far one of the most enjoyable 2021 album releases I’ve listened to so far, this really is an amazing debut; it’s full of great ideas graciously executed, it’s daring, original and exciting… if you’re still reading this, you should rather consider just giving “LAZER BEAM” a listen already!
Don’t forget to support this project and to follow on Instagram, Facebook, Soundcloud, YouTube, and Spotify. If you enjoy his music and are able to provide monetary support, you can download their music on Bandcamp.
It also helps to stream and share their music; you can obviously find it in the following Playlists: Less Than 1,000 Followers, Sickest & Dopest, and Alterindie State Of Mind.
P.S. If you enjoy discovering new artists and fresh new music you can subscribe to this blog Less Than 1,000 Followers and follow the Playlist with all the artists that we have presented here!!!
This coverage was created via Musosoup #Sustainablecurator