Lunic - Lovethief Album Review

Review of Lunic's album Lovethief.

Following on from last year's debut record 'Skeletons', Lunic's second album is released following funding contributions from the band's fans via the SellaBand website. The group is driven by the singer-songwriter-multi-instrumentalist talents of Kaitee Page and currently have a headline show in New York City lined up in July.

The most notable characteristic of Lunic's sound is how they blend classical violin and viola sounds with contemporary rock music - and very successfully indeed it should be noted. Whereas many bands will throw strings into a soundscape for a clichéd power ballad, here it is very much at the soul of the song, with 'Masquerade' being a prime example of crunching metal chords providing the base layer to the shimmering strings. The press release that likens the band to Paramore sells Lunic short, for Kaitee Page has a much more mature vocal style that should appeal to much more than just the teen market. 'Him' is a romping anthem, while 'Thieves' shows how heavy riffs and strings can be effortlessly blended. It bears similarities to Evanescence, but Page's vocals have a touch of vulnerability that make her singing much more emotive than the nu-metal act. 'Revenge Of the Lot Lizard' explores a cool rhythm driven approach and reveals a sleazy narrative of a femme fatale and perhaps best of all is 'Mirage', an ambitious and grand ballad that is highly affecting with some spine-chilling harmonies. Genuine comparisons are difficult to make, Muse of course have classical elements within their alternative rock, but Lunic's sound is not so experimental or unpredictable. However they are certainly quite unique in contemporary terms and are certainly display enough here to suggest they are worth investigating now and in future.

Alex Lai