Lacquer – Rebuilt

Lacquer – Rebuilt / 2007 Self / http://www.lacquerbadlands.com /

“Ripper” is a track that will bring listeners back to the Motley Crue-like rock of the eighties. Lacquer is a little more complex than that comparison would seem, as there are hints of Ramones-like pop punk and even a little bit of a Replacements/Husker Du sound during this track. The musical progression during “Ripper” is something that individuals will feel comfortable with, and this only bolsters the replay value of this disc. “Kicksville” continues this classic rock sound, but brings Lacquer new influences. During this track, hints of Dokken and 38 Special are present.

Perhaps the most interesting addition during this track has to be the pre-chorus vocal section that sounds as if the band stumbled upon a sixties boy band album. The strongest part of Lacquer’s output during “Rebuilt” has to be the cohesion that they exhibit; while “Kicksville”, “Diabless”, and “Ripper” all have very different sounds, the band masterfully ties the tracks together. “Diabless” is the shining star of the disc, as the opening guitar riffs of the track provide a drastically different harmony and tempo than was present during any other part of the disc. During “Diabless”, Lacquer takes a louder, noisier approach to their brand of glam rock. In doing so, they channel the same type of unity between punk and glam that was done by acts like the New York Dolls over thirty years ago. Lacquer is one of those raree acts that can make an earlier musical style sound fresh and interesting. “Diabless” is the perfect example of this track, as they have figured out how to remove the fuzz of years from this glam style and make each guitar line slice through listeners’ hearts.

 While this is a studio album, Lacquer is able to show with these songs that they would be one hell of a live band. “Rebuilt” doesn’t mean that Lacquer has built themselves, but rather that they have rebuilt the genre of classic rock. With this rebuilding of the genre, Lacquer has made a style of rock that is fresh and new. “Rebuilt” will be in my player for months to come, and I know that I will be looking for their next full length album, whenever it may come out. Lacquer rocks out, does it in a way that older rock fans can like, and keeps current fans interested in their music.

Top Track: Rebuilt

Rating: 6.7/10