{"id":64860,"date":"2018-06-19T18:30:23","date_gmt":"2018-06-19T17:30:23","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/alreadyheard.com\/staging\/?p=64860"},"modified":"2018-06-19T22:05:59","modified_gmt":"2018-06-19T21:05:59","slug":"review-ness-lake-kicking","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/alreadyheard.com\/staging\/review-ness-lake-kicking\/","title":{"rendered":"Review: Ness Lake – Kicking"},"content":{"rendered":"

\"\"<\/a>Anyone familiar with Chandler Lach\u2019s previous output might be somewhat taken aback by Ness Lake<\/b>. Whereas his time fronting Swordfish saw his name put to the sort of rousing indie-punk that bands like The Menzingers would go on to perfect, Ness Lake<\/b>\u00a0are a much different proposition. They are comprised of ideas that wouldn\u2019t fit with any previous projects, all with an unavoidable inward focus.<\/p>\n

Couple that with the exquisitely arranged and sometimes heartbreaking shoegaze and emo arrangements, and \u2019Kicking\u2019<\/i> can be a truly affecting album, both in its sense of scope and its emotional rigor. \u2019Perfect Spirals\u2019<\/i> and \u2019Bed Like A Grave\u2019<\/i> highlight the flaws in Lach\u2019s voice \u2013 flat and morose with a noticeable distance \u2013 but it makes the grief and loneliness all the more powerful. As does the fragile, ramshackle acoustic guitar on \u2019Cheery Menthols\u2019<\/i>. And with the liquid, washed-out tones that dominate, there\u2019s a dreamlike feel to Lach\u2019s self-examinations that are genuinely compelling.<\/p>\n