“Everyone’s drifting in their own boat… Don’t wanna drown, can’t stay afloat…”
Boston classic rock outfit Electric Standard set the year off beautifully with this brand new album. Already a stand-out band for their crafty riff-work, storytelling and authentically organic rock and roll sound, Lady Luck & The Grand Vizier appears to light up the space more so than ever.
Roll That Lonely Roll is the opener and a brilliant choice in being so. Colourful and anthemic, melodic and uplifting, with a wholehearted chorus of vocal unity and live-scene warmth to see things out with a bang.
We’re off to a strong start, and the project continues to maintain that high bar with a series of stories, skilful musicianship, and melodically catchy, conceptually thoughtful arrangements.
If You Took The Long Way brings through an immediately more personal, almost melancholic yet still ultimately hopeful vibe, with long-form lyrical progressions that feel well-inspired by the soft rock songwriting of decades past. A poetic, thought-provoking favourite. The leading voice also sounds particularly alluring here, charming yet reflective, and there’s a vulnerability to certain moments – something that’s considerably more distinctive for Time (Clock Of The Heart).
Blues-rock distortion and weight subsequently allows Child Of Darkness to pick up the passion and pace a little, then weaves towards classic blues and honky-tonk swagger for the infectious groove and quirky concept of Whenever You’re Around, I Leave Town.
The mellow seductive intimacy of Crying Over Youth feels like a cinema-style classic, quiet and contemplative, shoulder-swaying, memorable and lyrically inspiring…
“If you wait til the moment is right, you might wait for the rest of your life… And when time is done clawing at your soul, your secret dies untold.”
Live acoustic rhythms gift a sense of realness and small-venue connection in the form of Give Me Back My Wig, before the satisfying rock style of Half and Half injects further optimism and energy. Omaha takes that one step further, with some superb guitar work and a quickly revitalizing presence; another favourite for its personality and honest observations.
At the penultimate moment, things settle into a more shoegaze-like warmth and wonder, for the deeply provocative All Our Time. This one seems to touch on issues and ideas referenced throughout the album, and wraps it all up with a gentle venture that’s deeply moving yet also positively influential in a lasting manner. Another absolute highlight and well worth more than a few streams.
The lyrical blessings scattered through Lady Luck & The Grand Vizier are actually consistently wonderful, familiar yet freshly-crafted, with a twist of contemporary relevance and a clear sense of heart to their delivery.
To finish, Electric Standard bring things back down to the ground, with the acoustic strum and equally quiet, thoughtful nature of Don’t Send Me Your Money.
This feels like a timeless album, in short – a fantastic project, from a band who undoubtedly devote their artistic efforts to exploring and understanding the depths of the human state; what it’s all about, the why, the when, the how. It’s a faultlessly written and recorded collection, joyful to let play but also profound and powerful when you need it to be. Ideal for the blues-rock fans as much so as the deep thinkers and those who need a little nudge in the right direction sometimes.
Download Lady Luck & The Grand Vizier via Bandcamp. Check out Electric Standard on Facebook or visit their Website.
