The Lawsuits
Moon Son
Reviewed by: Adelie Salagnac
Let’s skip the unnecessary typical comments about their long hair, the suppositions on their inspirations, and the comparisons with artists, both dead and alive (you’ll easily figure that out on your own), and go straight to the point: Moon Son is the bomb. Philadelphia’s own The Lawsuits are coming back, with Moon Son, their self-produced, second full-length release, cleverly blending, once again, rock, groove, pop, and more, to create an organized chaos – and it works.
The Lawsuits played an electrifying release show at the Foundry a couple weeks ago and gave their fans the opportunity to get their hands on a copy of Moon Son before everyone else. This beauty is now available for everyone to buy and stream. From catchy love tunes like “Do Ya”, to slower, epic, more lyrically aggressive songs as “Hail Storm”, or pure rock songs like “Queen of Spades”, this record intertwines genres and themes. Eclectic, yes; but not disorganized or disjointed! The Lawsuits successfully managed to create a perfect balance in their album, all while shaping a sound that is truly their very own.
“It has its own style and heartbeat, its own rhythm and recipe, and while it might bear the name The Lawsuits on the cover, it is certainly built with different materials than our previous releases. It’s dynamic and genre bending at times, but maintains a cohesive element from start to finish,” says Brian Dale Allen Strouse (guitar and vocals). On a recent interview he did with us, he admits that “(t)he recordings are better. It is definitely a more focused effort by our part and it sounds great.” (check out the full interview here.)
There is no doubt the band has come a long way since the release of their previous record, Cool Cool Cool, which has been described as a “schizophrenic mix of modern Americana” in the past. While Moon Son is still genre-hopping and broad, it comes off as a more subtle collection of various styles, shaping an overall very convincing mix tape. Definitely more mature, focused, and well thought-through – a huge step forward for Strouse and his talented band mates Brendan Cunningham (bass), Vanessa Winters (vocals), Josh Friedman (drums), and Joe Bisirri (guitar).
One other thing I particularly appreciated was the universality of the songs – relatable and sometimes holding various meanings, as my personal favorite “Last Night”, which can both be interpreted as being caught in a dream (“just like the movie Inception”, says Strouse), or being unable to say something that needs to be said and miscommunication. Whatever you are going through in life, chances are you can apply one of The Lawsuits’ songs to your situation.
Rating: Bad-Ass
