Album Review: Lipona - Networks

Tallahasee, Florida’s Lipona describe themselves as a experimental skate punk band however from hearing ‘Networks,’ they are more then that. With haunting vocals, drawn-out introductions and soaring choruses, ‘Networks’ sees a band developing and coming into their own.

Starting with the fiery ‘Followers,’ Lipona sound like a solid unit that bounce off each other well as their brand of punk rock has all the favourable characteristics yet vocalist Yamil Velez offers a sense of sincerity; “And it’s like an heirloom passed on to the most reckless hands, a custom that’s never broken but irrelevant. These words are never spoken but now it must be said, after this generation, these rituals are dead.”

Elsewhere tracks like ‘Rights Of Passage’ and ‘Civilized’ are fuelled by the bands blistering punk rock energy and the bands lyrical sentimentality echoes that of Rise Against. Whilst ‘Comfort’ is lyrically hollowing and complimented by a technical bass-line.

Throughout ‘Networks,’ its clear that Lipona have grown over the last two years and that personal troubles have affected the band yet it’s clearly evident on tracks like ‘On Giants’ and ‘Collapse’ they are closer. They’ve grown as songwriters and musicians, as ‘Networks’ dares to expand beyond Punk Rock and embrace sensible ideas. Although this isn’t quite evident on first listen.

Nevertheless Lipona have created an anthemic, progressive punk record which grows on you in time. 

3.5/5

‘Networks’ by Lipona is available now on Disconnect Disconnect Records.

Lipona links: Facebook|Bandcamp|Twitter

Words by Sean Reid (@SeanReid86)