Lucid Liars – Happy to Be Here
Lucid Liars are an alternative indie rock band from Inverness, UK. Their works take inspiration from similar genres, such as shoegaze and noise rock, and the band soars quite well when they utilise these components. Unfortunately, their debut Happy to Be Here doesn’t explore these domains as much as it should, instead relying on formulaic song-writing throughout most of the track-listing.
There are some serious badass standouts, though. Two Ghosts boasts some great atmospheric elements, though they’re buried away by a straightforward composition. Nevertheless, the instrumentals are fantastic, as is the midway jam. The title track, Happy To Be Here, rocks an even catchier hook and a noisier guitar presence. Rabbit in the Headlights is one of the best songs, since it lets the instrumentation lead the wonderfully ominous soundscape. The biggest standout though is without a doubt Claymore, with its excellent jams. If only the band was more focused on this raw energy throughout the rest of the album, and less concerned with being appealing. Sure, it may lose the attention of surface-level music enthusiasts, though it demonstrates Lucid Liars are capable of so much more. Nonetheless, it goes without saying the moodier second half of the album is significantly more memorable than the first half - especially the surprisingly delightful closer.
The remaining songs are quite admirably produced, though are noticeably more formulaic in comparison. 3am is very Muse-like and quite conventional/bland, bar it’s beautiful end section containing a glimpse of expansive opera-like songwriting. Daydreaming doesn’t explore its imaginative landscape as much as it should have, and Untitled #1 and Sad to be Gone are far too formulaic to distinguish from the plethora of indie rock. The same could be said for Cold As Snow, which almost reaches the high of the stronger tracks, but its sound and composition once again have trouble differentiating themselves from similar rock-opera suits. Nevertheless, the filler is non-offensive and easy to listen to - they are just not as solid as their stronger counterparts.
Lucid Liars should be aware of where their strengths lie. As mentioned before, it’s not that their lesser-standout tracks are bad, but they are indistinguishable from the competition. Thankfully, the tracks that explore imaginative soundscapes demonstrate an amicable array of talents – one that demands to be expanded upon. Here’s hoping Lucid Liars will do so in future. Regardless, their debut Happy to Be Here is worth a listen, even if it is just the stronger tracks mentioned earlier. It’s rather impressive how grand and full of life the album is, despite its underdog origin.
Above Average
Listen to it here:
Lucid Liars – Happy to Be Here
