Lord & Lady – No Ghost (EP)

Indie rock has been pushing the boundaries of sonic gravity lately in a way that is completely distinctive from revolutions in high volume music that have come before this current one. In the late 60’s and early 70’s it was psychedelic rock, which then evolved into heavy metal, that was the supreme juggernaut in pop music, shaping a generation of music fans who learned to appreciate the power of a mammoth bassline from a very early age. In the 80’s and early 90’s, it was the post-punk shoegazers who continued the evolution in audio, with bands like My Bloody Valentine experimenting with the way bands perform a song live to exploit the maximum potential for totalitarian sonic dominance. And now in 2018, in what can only be described as the ultimate irony of our time, it’s the muted, minimalist-influenced west coast indie pop scene that Lord & Lady are reigning over that is the group intent on taking music to the next plain of audiological awakening.

SPOTIFY: https://open.spotify.com/album/00GaaxEjB6AB6DapIIpZ9L?si=s9ZH312bTK-ini1ZvSjerg

Lord & Lady make some very fun music that tends to tout a free spirited, cathartic narrative in both its lyrics and its instrumentation, but don’t be fooled for a second into believing that this is a band that doesn’t take music very, very seriously. Scott Oatley and Rachel Panchal, who make up the whole of Lord & Lady, boast very extensive résumés as both songwriters and recording artists, and their musical partnering is one of the best things that has happened for pop music in a really long time. Lately the one complaint that I’ve been hearing above all others when it comes to contemporary pop music is that it feels like the artists being promoted the most are suffering from a total aesthetical disconnect with their audience. Pompous rap songs about sex, drugs and excessive spending aren’t what people want to listen to right now. People want something fresh and sunny, not dark and dreary, and that’s exactly what Lord & Lady are providing them with.

YOU TUBE: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QsZwuz2Idyo

If you’re looking for truly original music this year that doesn’t fit into a box but also doesn’t stray too far from the familiar, you needn’t look further than Lord & Lady’sNo Ghost. Whether it’s the misty Britpop-influenced folk rock of “Dance it Out” or the brooding inner dialogue of the cutting title track, you really can’t go wrong with this thought provoking new EP. Lord & Lady have got all the makings of an iconic songwriting duo, and with a little more refinement and a bit more room for them to stretch their creative legs out, they won’t just be ready to enter the primetime, they’ll be ready to straight up own it. With hype comes the urgency to produce more material, and even though I often encourage new, up and coming artists to take their foray into the public eye slowly as to avoid giving it all up at once, this is a scenario where the work is just too good to slow down anytime soon.

INSTAGRAM: https://www.instagram.com/lordandladymusic/

Michael Rand