Lylah already shows promise, since 3 of it's members were previously in the almighty "Supersoul", a band which received loads of good reviews, and of which yours truly was a big fan. The music itself has changed a little bit though. While Supersoul's music was heavier and contained a tiny bit of rap, Lylah's sound is a bit more mellow, with no rap influence at all, although it follows the same melodic lines Supersoul had previously shown the world with their 3 releases. Comparisons won't work this time. Sure, it has a bit of influence from those emotional bands like Far, Deftones, and even some Foo Fighters; but Empty Hours Of A Useless Heart demonstrates that what this band has to offer is not a copy of what others have previously done, but music filled with emotion and a lot of talent.
What really caught my attention in Lylah's music is how each song can sound both: cheerful and depressive, at the same time. While it's hard to describe it, it's exactly how I feel when I listen to "Empty Hours Of A Useless Heart". All I can say for sure is that a huge amount of emotion comes from each of the album's songs, not only through Norman's voice and lyrics, but especially through the music itself. J's guitar lines are heavy, yet so melodic it makes me piss on my pants while I listen to it; and you probably know by now what my opinion on Norman and his voice is. Norman's a badass singer. Period. His range is something unbelievable, and he shows how much he has improved from Supersoul's latest release, "Bloom", to Lylah's debut album. His voice carries so much emotion that it makes me wonder how this guy can be so talented. Mike Wood's bass is without a doubt precious for the band's sound. With solid and clean notes, it clears the path for the guitars, which are definitely the most important part of the band's music. Myki's drums are precise and careful, being aggressive when necessary. At times, they end up taking their own route, but definitely shine apart, being not only an instrument which provides the background, but also one notable for the listener due to the fact that the beats aren't repetitive, and are the exact opposite. The piano played by Norman is definitely an important ingredient for the recipe of emotion that is constant on the aural banquet that is Lylah, leaving the music as pretty as Katie Holmes' face. Ok, almost as pretty as Katie Holmes' face....
Lylah's mastermind (Norman, that is), also produced, mixed and mastered this album by himself. The production on this album is very impressive for an independent release, much better then when he produced Supersoul's "Bloom". Cover art is a bit rough, but we can't expect something professional from an indie debut.
Songs that deserve to be mentioned separately are:
- "Drift (Slip Into)": This is the heaviest song of the album, yet the one which exhudes the most emotion. Norman's voice is extremely beautiful in this one, especially.
- "One Last Goodbye": This song stays in the middle, having the balanced dose of heaviness and emotion in it. Drums are very special in this song, and the piano is beautifully mixed into the music.
- "Ivory Sky": Sometimes I think Norman should be sued for creating such beautiful music. Ivory Sky follows in the line of what he has previously done on Supersoul with the song "Crush", with only a piano and his beautiful voice; yet the lyrics on this song are so moving that only someone who has a rock instead of a heart won't be touched deeply by it. "If I bleed, blood for you, always know that loving you was all I ever knew..." 5 minutes of pure emotion....
Empty Hours of a Useless Heart is astonishing. An unbelievable debut put out by one band you can bet your soul you'll be hearing more about from now on. What Lylah shows on this album, not only by the music, but also by the lyrics, is sure to leave even the most jaded people touched and moved. Hearing is believing.
(5 / 5)
