Author: mpvoxman13
"We're all stories, in the end. Just make it a good one, eh?" -The Doctor
Reptar – Lurid Glow Review
Album Specs
Tracks/Length: 10 tracks, 40:59
Album Genre/Tone: Nerdtastic-Indie-Electronic-Guitar-Space-Jungle-Pop
Lead Single: "Ice Black Sand"
Purchase on Joyful Noise Recordings website.
The mythical A+: Pretty much the best eargasm you've ever experienced. This is the album you will be listening to when you are sixty and your grandchildren will be judging you for.
A: All you need to appreciate this album is two ears connected to a heart. Whether it's the deeper message, the prolific beats or memorable lyrics, everybody should be listening to this record.
B: If you like the genre, then you will love this album. You might keep it on repeat for a month, but it will eventually find itself in the bowels of your shuffle list. Hardcore fans of the artist will disagree with this rating, but it can be considered more niche than universally acceptable.
C: There are a solid tracks, but it's really only worth a few rotations as a complete package. Those not into the genre probably shouldn't even bother. It's the musical equivalent of a sad handjob.
D: This album fails, in most aspects, to make a good or lasting impression. However, some out there might find joy in it, if even for only a few songs.
F: The only thing this album is good for is to make your ears bleed. You should steal every copy of this album and throw them all into a fire for a sacrifice ceremony meant to disband the demons living in the CD. And I say steal because it is obviously not worth the money. Or it would make a great gift for your enemies.
History Behind the Album
Reptar is back with a craAaAzy new album that's sure to have everybody talking. Lurid Glow displays the bands' evolution from their last album, Body Faucet. While Body Faucet was a pop-party masterpiece, the band reportedly had some difficulties finding ways to capture aspects of their live performances in the studio. On Lurid Glow, the band appears to have figured it all out. In an interview featuring the Reptar dudes adventuring through the streets of Tallahassee, Ryan, Reptar's bassist, took a moment to discuss the band's song writing process on the new album; "I think one thing we did really well on this album as opposed to the last one, we tried to focus more on like one particular cool thing, letting it have it's moment instead of having a bunch of different things going on that are all really cool."
Reptar has been teasing us for a little while now by releasing tracks from Lurid Glow such as "Ice Black Sand" and "Cable." Lurid Glow will be the second full-length album released by the Athens, GA party brigade, Reptar and will be available March 31st.
What You're in For
What to expect from Reptar??? Don't EXPECT anything from Reptar. Instead, let Reptar surprise you as they always do.
As always, it's difficult to describe Reptar's unique sounds. They've been described as Afro-Pop and Nerd-rock, among numerous other attempts at classifying them into a specific genre. Why do we need to figure out what they should be defined as anyway? Once Lurid Glow begins bouncing through your eardrums, all of these confining descriptors go out the window anyway. What can be said definitively about Lurid Glow is that Reptar has managed to capture the essence of their famously intense live shows while developing their studio sound farther than their previous outings. The album may be a bit darker than their previous album, however that's not saying much. They have always had a light bouncy feel and Lurid Glow continues this trend. In fact, you should probably not listen to the newest album in a place where it is socially unacceptable to shake your rump, tap your feet, and maybe even break into full on dance moves. As the band has said in previous interviews, "This album is way darker than the last one, but we still like to party!" Graham still sounds like a crazy alien. The bass lines still bring the funky-funk. The keys are still taking us on a wild space trip. The drums still attack your face in a way that hurts so good. Their sound may have matured a bit, but they are still the fun-loving party crew that make us want to bust a move while calling a friend just to tell them we love them.
I'm not sure if it's just the 90s nostalgia, but much of the new album brings to mind a psychedelic version of Baltimora's "Tarzan Boy." What does that have to do with the 90's, you ask? Well, I've always associated that song with Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles III: Turtles in Time, a favorite movie of mine as a child. Anyway, back to Lurid Glow. Reptar's sophomore album is absolutely filled with bouncy punching horn parts, which have been incorporated into their live shows since the release of their previous album. In fact, the horns towards the beginning of the song "Particle Board" seem to summarize the entire album, pushing you forward and bringing you back. Lurid Glow, as a whole, seems to do just this, pushing you forward and focusing in on a catchy riff and then unexpectedly pulling you out into the astral soundscape that Reptar has painted so well throughout the album. It's a beautiful album that keeps you guessing throughout, from Graham's guttural growls featured in the song "Cable" to the backup vocals in "Daily Season" that can only be described as a space-monk chant. Lurid Glow is littered with sweeping glimmering guitars, foot-stomping drums, and abrupt song endings. As the song "Amanda" illustrates, "I can be lots of things in different kinds of world," the diverse musical influences are sure to keep you on your feet and offers a little sumthin-sumthin for all fans of the band, old and new.
Lurid Glow is a wild ride. Unplug those headphones, roll down your car windows, and call some friends to dance with because this is an album that needs to be shared. Just as Graham exclaims, "I want to know what all the fuss is about," others will surely want to know what that magical mystical sound is all about once you crack open Lurid Glow.
Songs On Repeat
Call me crazy but this song has an almost Huey Lewis and the News feel to it. As with many other tracks on the new album, there are catchy horn riffs adding a whole new dynamic to Reptar songs. The song seems to drive you forward, always keeping you guessing and intrigued. Although this song was released a while before the rest of the album, I find myself continuously coming back to it again and again. You can feel the passion that is evident in Graham's voice through his guttural growls and primal screams.
"Easier to Die"
As is often the case with Reptar songs, it can be a more difficult task to make out the lyrics to portions of their songs. I'm excited to sit down and really analyze the lyrics to this one because it's such a fun and bouncy song with so many ear catching elements to it, yet the whole chorus is "It's easier to die than live." What up with that?! It's a good tune that I've found myself coming back to again and again on these bright sunshiny days we've been having in Denver lately.
Reptar has put together another fun album full of the same sounds and feels that many of us have fallen in love with in the past. Lurid Glow is sure to catch the fancy of all fans, old and new, and have everyone up on their feet dancing. Their sound has definitely matured, however those sweet little innocent party guys are still behind the wheel. It's one of those albums where something new catches your ear during every listen making it an album that will be able to stand up for quite some time. Grab a copy of Lurid Glow on March 31st and brace yourself for a journey through the most recent funky tunes jam-packed with eclectic influences and that special something only Reptar can deliver to your ear holes.
Thought of and written by Jake Mulhern
Posted on March 31, 2015 Author mpvoxman13Categories Album Reviews, MusicTags indie funk afro-pop funko nerd music, music review, reptar, reptar lurid glow reviewLeave a comment on Reptar – Lurid Glow Review