The Lovely Killbots
The barebones simplicity of the Toronto-based, piano and drum duo is jarring, initially. Unlike the grandeur and spectacle pushed by many of Canada’s multi-member bands, The Lovely Killbots have taken a markedly more reserved approach; the Arcade fire they are most assuredly not.
Instead, the duo – brainchild of pianist Lauralee and drummer Ryan – are part of a much different pursuit, cut from a similar mold as Emily Haines & the Soft Skeleton, or even The White Stripes. Lauralee’s delicate, jazz-pop style plays softly over the oft-complex rhythm’s of Ryan’s drumming, spawning an interesting experiment in simplicity that, with their debut album Primrose Lane, they hope will find a place amongst Canada’s diverse, musical landscape.
It’s clear that the duo have taken a unique approach to the album, choosing to remain instrumentally simplistic, yet melodically complex. Opening track “Crushed Orange Warrior” takes Ryan’s fast-paced, 3/4 tempo, moving, later on, into standard 4/4 territory without a hitch. It’s a technique that is used quite frequently on the album, and to good effect – and yet, at the same time risks the possibility of becoming cliche.
While Lauralee’s simple melodies and chords provide much of the album’s drive and energy, it seems as if her jazz-infused progressions are all too often drowned by the energy of Ryan’s drumming. In a two-piece such as this, the challenges of balancing but two instruments is most likely obvious to the duo, but it’s a synthesis that hasn’t quite been reached as of yet. Despite its lovely piano lead, for example, “Dis gruntled”, is ultimately drowned out by Ryan’s excellent, yet over-powered drumming.
Lauralee’s vocals – mid-range, with a soft-spoken style evocative of a Feist-like influence – are often subject to the same sort of problem, blending in far too frequently with Ryan’s drumming, and her own, low-octave piano melodies. “Ghetto A”, and even “Re-Creatio(n)” to an extent, are guilty of this, despite otherwise strong drumming and melodic grooves.
Of course, that’s not to say that the duo’s debut album is without it’s successes; “Intimate Conversation with an Inanimate” – one of the album’s best tracks – finds itself driven by a rather simple melody that reaches a captivating climax of chords and cymbal crashes. It’s this sort of progression that provides a glimpse into what The Lovely Killbots could accomplish with just a bit more fine-tuning.
But ultimately, gems like these prove to be far and few between; while musically captivating at times, each songs proves to be far more of a buildup upon the last, and less of a musically diverse collection as one would hope. The end result is an album that sounds reasonable in pieces, but blends together, as a whole, into one long odyssey – an odyssey that lacks ability to deviate from what works into more adventurous fare.
Primrose Lane marks an intriguing and potentially captivating concept from the Toronto Duo, but it’s a debut that still seems to suffer from the growing pains of band searching for the right sound. In theory, things sound great. But in practice, it seems The Lovely Killbots require the versatility and polish necessary to make the jump from amusing experiment into a truly unique part of Toronto’s independent landscape.
For more Lovely Killbots, go to their MySpace!
