Lynus Needs No Security Blanket
It's a wonder that Lynus is still unsigned.
Lynus
Nice Outside
Released on Jun 03, 2008
What happens when four 12 year-old kids decide in shop class that they want to form a band? Lynus is what happens. Most bands wouldn't survive ten years of practice, writing and playing shows even if they are signed to a huge record contract, but the guys in Lynus are still reaching for their dream. Take three of the original members, singer/guitarist Joe Senna, singer/guitarist Blake Spurlock and drummer Minh Ngo; throw in bassist Tim Feerick and the result is a sound that is similar to many other acts, but distinctly Lynus.
The first track on Nice Outside is a great introduction to the band's sound for someone who has never heard of them before. "Real Good Kids" does a great job at letting Senna's voice carry the song. The accompanying musical arrangement is upbeat but not overpowering, still allowing harmonies to accent the vocals in a way that really draws you in. The track is wonderful at getting you into a groove, then shattering it with a quick departure before dropping right back into the hook. By the end of the song, you just want to go back beginning and hear it again. "Real Good Kids" isn't even the best song on the album.
More harmonizing is used on the vocals in songs later on the album, giving a sound similar to Queen. There are times at which Senna's voice is almost lost in harmony. It's understandable that this is part of their unique sound, but if things had been scaled back just a bit, the vocals could have still sounded just as full without being overpowering. Lyrically, Lynus make some interesting choices, most notably is the way that "Real Good Kids" has a random "shit" thrown in here and there. It's unnecessary, but thankfully doesn't detract from the songs enough to be a real problem.
The songs are upbeat enough that a lot of them have you wanting to move, but at the same time they're extremely mellow. "PJ Soles", for example, has a nice beat to it but again things come back to Senna's voice which is a counterpoint to the upbeat music. This is perhaps the best thing about Nice Outside. All of the upbeat tracks, "Holly Near", "The Birds" and "Van Pelt" to name a few, have the same quality of having quite a bit of energy but still being soothing. It's like swimming through a pool of marshmallows. Everything is soft and relaxing, but there's also a sugar high going on that makes everything just a little better.
High Point
It's difficult to think of any single part of the album that is better than the rest, but that in itself is probably the best thing about Nice Outside. All of the tracks are on even keel with each other, each one is just as great as the next.
Low Point
"Nice Outside" is an instrumental track that is very similar to the work of Mark Mothersbaugh. Although it serves as a nice break from the rest of the record, the shift in style is out of place.
Posted by Cory Roop on Jul 08, 2008 @ 7:45 am