Right on the heels of their recent EP ‘Hobo’s Lament’, Larry and His Flask are back with their storming sophomore effort ‘By The Lamplight’. The album (their first to be officially released in the UK) is at times a debaucherous and crazed affair. The virtuosity displayed on ‘By The Lamplight’ is quite remarkable, fear of being pigeonholed is something Larry and His Flask are at no risk of. With melodies to rival Chet Baker, the attitude of Cash and the hellbent fury of great punk bands of ye ole past, you never quite work out what Larry and His Flask are, and for once, it’s fucking great.
Instead of a personality crisis that afflicts many other bands that try to merge different genres, Larry and His Flask pull it off with such confidence that, as each layer of influence is revealed, it feels completely natural. It is of course helped by the fact that Larry and His Flask (note, no one in the band is actually called Larry, a disappointment I know) are extremely competent musicians at ease with jumping from style to style. A classic example of this is found in the opening track ‘Pandemonium’, is it a jazz song? Is it a country song? Is it a punk song? Who cares, it glorious.
More examples of this chameleon ability to switch from genre to genre can be found in the stunning ‘Barleywine Bump’ with the fuzz of distorted guitar, twang of the banjo, soaring trombones and additive melody it perfectly demonstrates the glut of talent on offer on ‘By The Lamplight’. Taking things down a notch the ballads are just as dreamy, the high lonesome tones of ‘Gone From You’ and the melancholy of ‘All That We’ve Seen’ show that Larry and His Flask can pluck at heartstrings just as well as they can destroy guitar strings.
Good storytelling is at the heart of ‘By The Lamplight’, the maudlin stylings of ‘Cruel Twist of Fate’ is a joy to hear play out before you. Yet for the uninitiated listener what appears to be a disorganised jumble of genres may become a little grating. However, for those who appreciate classic melody, great songwriting and a band not afraid to use a trombone, ‘By The Lamplight’ is 12 tracks of unadulterated pleasure.
CLARA CULLEN