Review : Benjamin Coe
Born from an insatiable desire for a creative outlet and fueled by the fear of never being able to perform for a live audience again thanks to the COVID-19 pandemic, L.S Dunes have brought together years of not only friendship and strong bonds from the emo scene of the early 2000’s, but also a melting pot of musicianship that has evolved and been refined to damn near perfection over the last 2 decades.
Featuring Anthony Green (Circa Survive, Saosin) on vocals, Travis Stever (Coheed & Cambria) & Frank Iero (My Chemical Romance) on dual guitar duties and the thundering rhythm section of bassist Tim Payne & drummer Tucker Rule (both Thursday), this is quite possibly the most emo supergroup to have ever existed!
For as serious as all their respective bands are, that level of professionalism and loyalty to the craft is keenly brought over onto Dunes’ debut album Past Lives, a collection of absolutely masterful tunes and pure emotion put on display for our pleasure. From the first line of album opener 2022, Green spills his familiar vocal flavour all over the top of what can only really be called a New Jersey-core musical landscape. Chaotic at times, focused and driven at others and always soulful, it lays the perfect foundation for Green’s signature wails and screams to build upon. You can honestly feel the passion and frustration pouring out of the guy and through the speakers.
And passion is the keyword here. Everything from the bands beginnings to the delivery of the music is pure passion for an art form that was almost robbed from not just these professionals, but us fans as well. And it shines through so brightly here it hurts, especially on tracks such as Like Forever which showcases the undeniable talent of the individual instrumentalists while Green delivers one of the most impassioned performances of his career.
It’s almost impossible to pick which guitar part belongs to which guitarist on tracks like Past Lives as they blend so seamlessly it’s as if Iero and Stever have been playing together their whole lives. In Fact, the chemistry between all five members is so palpable that once you’re invested in this album it’s easy to forget that this is actually a supergroup. There is clearly a shared vision among them and it shows. And then you add in Green’s expert lyricism and it becomes even more beautiful in a dark and tragic way as he delves through a bevy of blatant struggles and talking points that a lot of the world can relate to.
Each member brings something unique and refreshing to the table adding up to something much greater than the sum of its parts. Is it Circa? Is it Coheed? No. It’s L.S. Dunes and they demand your attention! This is surely one for the ages.
L.S Dunes – ‘Past Lives’ is out now via Fantasy Records order now : https://found.ee/LSDunesPastLives
