Posted on: July 13, 2010 Posted by: James McQuiston Comments: 0

Coming up with a style of music that can be found blaring at any frat house any day of the week, Lanky still does it surprisingly well, much like the Majestic Twelve. Even though Lanky is an individual that fits in with the singer/songwriter with an acoustic tag, the fact is that the live recordings on this disc are vibrant enough that it makes it seem than an entire backing band is just standing behind Lanky. The only negative that I can foresee with this disc is the fact is that it is live, and while I can see Lanky in eir’s element, there is no promise that the energy that ey exudes will be able to be caught by a producer. “Lovesick” comes out sounding like a mixture between Brant Christopher and Matthew West; that is, like the familiar Christian pop-rock songster than has stumbled upon one of the more catchy hooks.

Lanky doesn’t just stick to the hackneyed role of singer-songwriter, occasionally picking up the guitar for extended, soulful solos and changes the pitch of eir’s voice to compete with the most famous of emo-rockers. An obvious standout on this EP is Lanky’s cover of U2’s “Who’s Gonna Ride Your Wild Horses”, probably the most fitting end to the disc that could be made. I was not familiar with the original, but to me the track is rendered so perfectly by Lanky that if eir’s press sheet didn’t mention the cover, I would have just assumed that it was an original. The only thing that breaks from the tendency of Lanky is eir’s falsetto during this song, as it lodges itself firmly into the thin space between annoying and brilliant.

As is evidenced by the generous terms in the earlier part of this review, I can’t wait to hear the new full length when it does actually come out. I think personally that Lanky’s sound is very full for a kid and eir’s acoustic, but ey’s sound would further be boosted by the addition of either a complete orchestra or a more casual band. Simply put, Lanky is at the top of the heap of all the singer-songwriters, and I only foresee major victories in the near future. Backed by a strong sense of musicianship as well as a strong label, Lanky will be even more of a household name when eir’s full length comes out.

Top Track: Lovesick

Rating: 6.0/10

Lanky – Last Chance For A First Impression / 2004 Impostor Records / 6 Tracks /http://www.lankymusic.com / Reviewed 28 June 2004

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