And so it begins. This is the first of many weekly music reviews.  I have been taking submissions from all you you for some time now. To kick it off, I’ve been checking out a band called Lydia based in Gilbert, Arizona.  I am actually very partial to this part of the country as it’s where I began my professional journey in the music industry. At first listen, their tracks are diverse in dynamics, tempo, and overall feel.  I appreciated the sound of lead vocalist Leighton Antelman’s voice.  His range is pretty good and the harmonies are tight.  His vocals never crossed the line to become annoying.  Instead, they were intriguing, making you want to listen to the next song to hear what he would do lyrically and vocally.  The music takes the focus on the album, not any one particular musician.

I especially liked the track “This is Twice Now“.  It was a great example of how a piano can be used in rock music without being cliche.  And they don’t overuse it on the album.  When I first heard this song, I was actually surprised to hear the piano take center stage at the introduction.  At the first verse the rest of the band enters and it’s a beautiful balance of instruments and vocals.  The snare drum is a nice contrast to the overall vibe of the song.  It really helps balance the verses.  Right around two minutes the songs pulls back to more of a half-time feel to bring things down a bit and make it more contemplative.  Mindy White’s backing vocals at this point were the right amount of a feminine touch to help bring the song full circle and back to where it started with the soft spoken piano.

Another intersting track is “Hospital.  It has a very ambient, sluggish feel to it.  Leighton shows some of his range, building on the dynamics of the song.  Appearing as a guest vocalist on this track is Aaron Marsh, formerly of Copeland.  There’s just a touch of his influence on this track, helping add to the overall dreamy state. While this track isn’t the most technically difficult for drummer Craig David, he does a great job keeping it simple enough to keep it interesting.  You can tell a musician knows how to make great music when they show tasteful discretion.

Speaking of the drums, Craig’s work on the rest of the album gives the sound a bit of an easy going feel.  There are songs that are quick, but even they have this sense of not caring about what’s happening outside of the music.  His work on this album is one of taste and discernment.  I really think he’s got much to offer, and in holding back at times, he is only showing more of his ability.  I especially like his snare work.  He uses it to help you along with the sway of the music.

The entire group makes it easy to lose yourself in the music.  This doesn’t happen too often anymore.  Many bands find a formula that works and they beat the horse beyond death.  Lydia is able to stay true to their sound on “Illuminate” all the while showing their ability to diversify.  For example, “December” has a feel quite different from that of the rest of the tracks.  But it remains true to the sound of the album.  This track is a bit edgier, all the while still playing to the dynamics of the album.  There is an interesting arpeggio/flange effect during the verse that really helps set the guitar apart.  Then the guitar tracks carry a nice melody line on the chorus, coming together with the rest of the instruments to help solidify the sound.

Lydia will take you high, low, and everywhere in between.   The guitar work of Steve McGraw and Leighton is highly complimentary to Craig’s drumming.  I enjoyed the differences in playing on the track “Stay Awake”.  There was picking, driving choruses, and a subtle use of a wah pedal.  I feel that it can get over used quickly, but found them to really use the wah to add to the song in a minor way. This album shows that as a group this is a rock band from Arizona that is capable of producing intellectual and quality music.

I’d never heard of them till recently, but I’m going to make sure to follow them.  You can follow Lydia on Twitter, become their fan on Facebook, check out the Lydia MySpace, or view the official Lydia website.

Thanks for reading my weekly review.  If you have an album you’d think I should check out, tell me.  Keep checking back to make sure you don’t miss a review.

Cheers,

Josh Walker