Lakes – ‘This World Of Ours, It Came Apart’

By Ellie Odurny

Watford six piece Lakes released their debut album ‘The Constance LP’ last year, packed full of dreamy pop rock tunes. Described as a ‘glock-rock’ band, they combine the fairy-tale sound of the glockenspiel with pretty guitar licks, catchy melodies and post-rock inspired unpredictable rhythms. With a distinct DIY ethic, the album was recorded from drummer Matt Shaw’s spare room over the course of a year, with the associated music videos also being produced by the band themselves.

‘This World Of Ours, It Came Apart’ is a split A-side/EP and sees guest vocalists join the band for both releases. First single ‘Kids’ features additional vocals from Dan Lambton, formerly of US pop punk band Real Friends, and combines clean guitars with their signature use of glockenspiel and offbeat time signatures to keep you on your toes. The brass section towards the end of the track adds further texture to an intricately well-layered song, adding a hint of jazz influence to a sound that already encapsulates elements of many genres. The title of the EP comes from a lyric in the chorus, and they’ve released an accompanying video made up of hundreds of scanned pictures of the band from childhood to the present day. Lakes may have upgraded from a PC and a mic to work with Steph Carter (of Gallows fame) to record these new tracks, but there remains an innocent air of home-grown authenticity to their writing.

‘Warning Signs’ follows with a similar mellow pop rock sound, the dual vocals and softly drifting melodies marrying beautifully with a chilled bass line and simple drums. The screams towards the end, courtesy of Ed Hutchinson of fellow Watford hardcore outfit Incoherence, add an edgier level to an otherwise very gentle pop rock tune. The fact that they totally fit the vibe of the record shows how versatile Lakes’ sound is, as they merge together a variety of musical and rhythmic elements to create their own unique sound. If Lakes continue to write tunes this good as they forge their path in the emo indie pop rock scene, we’re in for a treat.

ELLIE ODURNY

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