Lumerians: Album Review and Live @ The Complex

The last time I wrote about Lumerians I described them as “What if Wooden Shjips were as awesome as everybody says they are?”. Thats a pretty big what if becuase people are crazy about Wooden Shjips (for example, supposedly the “Dance, California” seven inch fetches $200 on ebay. What, seriously? I should dig out my copy!).

Well I’ve heard Lumerians debut and, yes. Yes they are that good. The EP delievers thirty minutes of organ driven drone/pop with more than a healthy dose of Krautrock worship thrown in. They’ve got that Neu! thing going on, maybe not the exact beat but the kind of beat that makes you feel like you’re on a train endlessly heading towards the horizon. But with the way they have the organ pushed to the front on “Corkscrew Trepanation” I don’t think we’re headed towards the horizon, its a journey to the center of your mind. Although, truth be told after this first song, you’re not being driven so much any more but allowed to drift through whatever space it is the band has managed to get you into, especially on “Triskaideka” and “Turquoise Towers”. The other highlight of the EP is Organ Grinder. The song delves into Opal territory, not because the song has a femal vocalist, but because this song manages that understated, laid back, yet still unsettled feeling trick that Opal always managed.

Live all this droning and drifting could get old, but the show last saturday at The Complex was great. They’ve added a bongo player and luckily for us he does’t play like an asshole. Actually, he elevates what was already a really solid rhythm section. It turns out these guys pulled a total first date maneuver and didn’t put everything they’ve got to offer out on display on that EP. Luckily its a much more pleasant surprise than finding out your new infatuation likes to wear a diaper. Around halfway through the set the songs start opening up into these nice melodic Sonic Youth like noise pop numbers. It might simply be the contrast between the heavier early stuff but, shockingly, these SY moments sound really good and not totally done to death by a horde of unimaginative fans (and you thought SY was played out).

After, I heard somebody saying these guys could stand to get more in your face — they spend most of the set taunting you, building to that balls out moment but they always keep it in their pants. I dunno, I can appreciate a guy who can keep it in his pants. Lumerians play this Wednesday, you decide:

Wednesday May 21st
@ The Uptown, 1928 Telegraph Ave. Oakland
The Assemble Head In Sunburst Sound
Lumerians
Janina Angel Bath
DJ Duke of Windsor
Visuals by Cosmic Hex