Left Alone
Left Alone
Hellcat Records
Street: 04.07
Left Alone = Rancid + The Explosion
I would have loved this band if I had heard them about 10 years ago. That isn’t to say that this isn’t good, just that I have trouble identifying with the sob story-esque subject matter of the songs on this one. I heard a long time ago that this band sounds like Rancid. Believe it, it really does. “Sad Story” sounds like it’s straight off of And Out Come the Wolves. Then there’s the bass, which you’ll swear Matt Freeman must have moonlighted in this band to contribute. It’s all pretty straightforward, ska-ish punk rock, which isn’t a bad thing. But sadly, the best song on the album is the laid back, 47-second-long ska-only instrumental “Intermission.” I hope there are more songs in the same vein in the future for this band. As a straight-up ska group, these guys would shine. –Aaron Day

Leprous
Tall Poppy Syndrome
Sensory Records
Street: 05.05
Leprous = Opeth + King Crimson + Ihsahn + Winds
Norway’s Leprous are one of those mold-defying bands taking themes and styles from multitudes of progressive, metal, and rock bands to create magnificent soundscapes with emphasis lying in intricate melodies. Tall Poppy Syndrome contains unique and songs that will have you returning to over and over again, each building towards powerful crescendos and dwindling down into soothing melodic and at times, atmospheric bliss. A better way to describe influences for Leprous other than listing off bands would be comparing it to pieces of classical music—some of the mellower acoustic and piano-driven songs take you on a trip, such as Chopin’s “Nocturne,” then epic, thundering guitars playing melodies leave you hanging on each note. Add a wide-ranged vocalist doing everything from a soft, humming serenade to high falsetto screams to death growls and black metal scowls, and you have a masterpiece of an album. –Bryer Wharton

Living with Lions
Dude Manor
Adeline Records
Street: 04.08
Living with Lions = No Use for A Name + Screw 32 + Lifetime + Hot Water Music + Taking Back Sunday
Living With Lions’ good-time and carefree brand of melodic punk rock is catchy enough to turn a few heads and their debut EP, Dude Manor, is even ear-pleasing enough to let it run through a few times on repeat without noticing. But that’s just the problem: you wouldn’t notice that it was starting over again. The six tracks (one of which is an intro) are good-good enough to throw up a few clenched fists, even. But when all is said and done, Dude Manor doesn’t quite have the juice to keep that fist in the air long enough to rock as hard as you’d like to. Turns out that Living with Lions might be more aptly named, “Living With Kitty Cats That Are Pretty Cool, But Not As Awesome As Big Tuff Lions.” –Jeremy C. Wilkins

Lovers
I Am The West
Able Heart
Street: 04.28
Lovers = Laura Veirs + The Jesus and Mary Chain + The Radio Dept.
I really love about half the songs on this album, but the rest of it leaves me cold. Lovers make shoegazey indie pop about love, yearning and all those Big Human Emotions, and when they succeed, my heart strings are absolutely tugged. But their songwriting isn’t quite up to par with the scope of what they want to do, and when they don’t hit that perfect, heartclenchy, bittersweet spot, they fall painfully flat. On the few upbeat songs that they attempt, the acoustic guitar work is trite and unoriginal and Carolyn Berk’s voice just sounds thin. For most bands I wouldn’t say this, but I think Lovers would be much better off if they just stuck with Epic Angst all the time. –Cléa Major