A lot of people who I consider to be a lot more faithful rock fans than myself have been consistently coming to me with the same complaints about the current state of their favorite genre of music, chief among them being the undeniable creative devolution (in the mainstream) that we’ve witnessed in the 2010s. Somewhere in the last ten years, rock seemed to lose its identity in the midst of the advent of hip-hop and electronica. The Lulls recently went into Connecticut’s Stone Studio and made a decided effort to try and recapture that identity, and the resulting single “Not Bad” goes a long way to starting the long process of reclaiming rock n’ roll from the commercial entities that have corrupted its legacy. Using organically generated rhythms and a dashing sense of charisma behind the microphone, The Lulls are making music that doesn’t have to try very hard to impress even the most stuck up of critics among us – and I like to consider myself a part of that category.
The theory that rock music has to be weighed down with a bunch of virtuosic leads or enormous riffs to convey heavy tonality is so far removed from reality that I don’t often like to give it a platform in my writing. Nevertheless, I think it’s important to note how skillfully The Lulls disprove that very theory in “Not Bad,” not just because it shuts down a subgroup of critics that I have come to loathe, but because the point should really be emphasized right now in history more than ever. Artists have more tools at their disposal when it comes to recording than anyone back in the 90’s could have ever dreamed of, and the temptation to abuse those resources to see how high the volume really can go will likely be too great for a lot of young rockers looking to make their start in the next decade. The Lulls are here to provide a good influence on the upcoming generation, and they’re making some pretty amazing music in the process.
“Not Bad,” both musically and lyrically, is as haunting as a setting sun, and we should come to expect nothing less from this band, who have quickly become the darlings of both audiences and critics alike since their inception. If you haven’t already, I highly recommend securing yourself a copy of this single and seeing what all of the buzz is about. Even if you’re committed to the idea that rock n’ roll is essentially dead – which to a certain degree I could probably concede it is – you should never close yourself off to the possibility of a revival; a revival which I might add, is in fact already upon us. The Lulls are a fascinating, dedicated band who clearly have a lot of big plans in store for their fans in the near future, and I for one am excited to see what they come up with both in and out of the studio next.
Thomas Patton, III
