Love Inks - Generation Club

Das texanische Trio Love Inks veröffentlichte dieses Jahr mit "Generation Club" über Monofonus Press seine zweite Platte, die erneut durch Sherry LeBlancs süßen Gesang, sanft, aber monoton vor sich hin pluckernde Beats und dezente, unterkühlte Synthie-Sounds zu gefallen weiß. Das lässt an den Soundtrack von "Drive" denken, oft werden auch The xx als Vergleich herangezogen und die Band selbst nennt Kraftwerk und Brian Eno als Einflüsse.

Leider ist kein so prägnanter Song wie "Blackeye" vorhanden und somit fallen auch viele Kritiken weniger positiv aus als beim Debüt "E.S.P." (2011):

‘Generation Club’ immerses LeBlanc’s silky, warm vocals in a busy soundscape of synths, fuzzy and strident bass lines, off-kilter guitars and skittering percussion. At its best, this combination works a treat: on ‘Night Lights’, for instance, a sweet yearning melody and insistent bass conjure up summers past, and on ‘I’m Gone’ the guitar comes to the forefront to provide a welcome change of texture.

However, there are just not enough memorable songs here to hook the listener in and keep their attention. In between its best tracks, ‘Generation Club’ slips by with only the changing light outside the window indicating that time has passed. Perhaps Love Inks’ group dynamic has indeed led to a compromise of their aesthetic: this album would be perfect, inconspicuous background music for a cosy couple’s night in.
(TimeOut)

Opening Track ‘Solar Diary’ is quietly epic, Dehan has claimed the song to be ‘about a girl running’, the low, murmuring synthesizers and relentless beat do a good job of constructing this image and create a sense of foreboding. “Scream against the sky” Leblanc sings, conjuring all manner of dark images. In contrast, single Time has all the attributes of a perfect pop song; a catchy, memorable melody, a driving rhythm, euphoric synths and a punk-rock length of 2 minutes.

Leblanc’s vocals are reminiscent of a softer Karen-O, at times her lyrics are almost whispered over beautiful, flying melodies. She sounds like a more sophisticated Lana Del Rey at the lower end of her range, and a more polished Debbie Harry at the top. The upbeat single ‘Outta Sight’, led by a rather lovely reverb-y guitar line, particularly benefits from Sherry’s sleek vocals, as does final track ‘Waiting on A Plane‘ where Sherry sounds truly heartbroken as she wavers through the simple tune.

Love Inks have managed to create a record that, despite its glossy finish, sounds raw and full of emotional significance. The tracks have a tendency to merge together (one of the perils of going down the ‘minimalistic’ route I feel) but do so in a listener-friendly way. Generation Club is a modest gem, definitely worth a listen.
(The Mancunion)