Funky guitar rhythms and riding bass lines, a female vocal distantly mixed for a kind of pop-rock meets shoegaze recording aura, later evolving through something of a traditional folk to rock fusion of styles – Lady King & The Aces roll with the creative punches, for Smooth Sailing.
Songwriting guides the way, a sense of personality and mood above all else – fragments of guitar solo, a drum solo crescendo, and a brief melodic switch to something a little gypsy-jazz-like, all adding twists of character amidst a strong and consistent groove.
The mix is also an interesting trait, a little hazy and raw, building further on the independent alternative angle for Lady King & The Aces. Then there’s that central melodic thread, with ‘But I stayed the same’ resolving each progression in a satisfying and catchy fashion.
Standing tall on their own style, with long-form lyrics that aren’t afraid to really capture a sense of story and purpose, and a musicality that’s both fun and focused on the energy and sentiments of the writing – Smooth Sailing is a memorable introduction to the band, and hopefully there’s plenty more music in the pipeline for the year ahead.
Find Lady King & The Aces on Facebook, YouTube, Instagram.
