Loon Lake have put out their last hurrah with Low Res, and while saddening for most it’s probably their best yet. There isn’t a stand alone hit like “Cherry Lips” but as a whole it’s a strong album with plenty of those feel good vibes. It carries on that quirky lyricism, cheeky nostalgic and heart torn themes as well as tracks about living life with a beer in your hand a plenty. In the words of the band: “It’s exactly what we set out to do, it’s old school LOON LAKE, it’s our final piece of music and it’s something we are very very proud of.”
To kick off I don’t know how I feel about “Maria” as the opening track, while it swings a little too far on the repetitive scale it does jump straight into that scuzzy tale of relationship woe that famously haunts every other track. A short leap leads into one of the lead singles “Just Now” which brings that classic rock pop right back, the winding chorus line vocal and guitar riffs will have you bopping around to that rhythm almost instantaneously before fading out.
But the bopping doesn’t stop, not for the rest of album. The vocal effects in The Dream reminisce of another band I can’t quite think off and the tracks overall sound feels slightly different to the lads usual tune, but in a good way, it’s nice to see a touch of versatility “I’m thinking positive, don’t prove me wrong”.
“Dark Black Eyes” rings out at a slower pace but just as addictive, and even with half the track quoting “la la la”s it became one of the more memorable tracks on the album for me. Don’t worry it’s not just that mid album mellowed out love song the chorus crashes in perfectly and I’ve always been a sucker for those unique vocals with Sam’s voice catching and fading before rising up. And of course honourable mentions to that guitar solo. “She’ll slither up through your heart, and wrap around your mind”.
The pace picks right back up with “Radiator” and again, the opening fast tracked drum line reminds me of some other sound that I can’t quite place. It’s a draw away from pop summer tune to straight rock jam that will have you air drumming your biceps into form with a little punk punch, and you can just picture the boys letting loose, though if anything the vocals feel more refined here. “Girlfriend” is that track you gotta sing with mates, if only to have some help dragging out that “she likes yooooooooooouuuuuuu” but the highlight is the backing harmonies that take you back to Little Red’s “Coca Cola” days in the second half.
Then comes the opening guitar hook in “Blue Skies” and for 20 seconds it’s like life is perfection, and brings an almost The Strokes-esque feel to the intro. I wanted more but alas the track falls into a back and forth of various rhythyms and overlapping vocals but it’s one that gets away with rambling as it throws around such a carefree vibe.
“Surfin” is just Loon Lake to the core and I feel speaks for us all in “All I think about is Saturday night”, though my highlight comes with “All I wanna do is place bass man – dun dun dun dun”. It’s that two minute thirty jump around track that will always put a smile on your face. “Honey Baby” is probably one you bring your mates back in for the encore with that crowded vocal line crying out “I called you last night, but you won’t pick up the phone” and some old school stylings on the guitar with both effects saving it from being a forgettable track.
And then “Winona Ryder” rings in with crisp glorious guitar and a gradual build up of starting with “We couldn’t have gone out better than this” and it’s one that gets your skin tingling and makes you crave summer night shenanigans like nothing else. It’s essentially the best eulogy for Loon Lake that could have ever been produced “I just wanna think of these days, with smiles on every ones faces” and really has you missing the cheeky buggers as you raise your tinnie for a toast. If this doesn’t take over as the anthem of the youth I don’t know what will, it just takes the album out on such a strong high.
There are tracks that definitely outshine others, and if you’re not into repetitive chorus sing-alongs maybe step back, but ultimately it is Loon Lake to a T, they brought it back to those scuzzy sassy roots and it just feels whole. There was more versatility on here than I expected and so many tracks had this unplaceable familiarity about them, but in the end it’s just good catchy tunes and we’ll be waiting right here for that reunion tour. Until then get around it, share it, stream it, buy it and wave farewell.
Review Score: 8.4 out of 10
Low Res is available now.
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