The Lunar Keys
A lush soundscape with “ONCE”
Here’s a great band from Guildford, west Surrey, that’s been quickly building a name for themselves in London and the surrounding areas. They’ve defined themselves as “cathartic melody and noise fusion” as well as “alternative rock vs neurotic pop.” Whatever you call it, you can’t deny they’ve got a great sound. Here’s our review of their latest single, “Once.”
Track starts with a mythical drum beat by Dom, ethereal keys and guitars, and a punctuated bass line. The verse builds with solid vocals from JC (also the bass player) as he begins to show his alto range with a solid and clear tone. After that we get to what feels like a soft first chorus, but perhaps it’s a pre. As the track expands after what feels like a quick second verse, the snare makes an entrance, the band goes full tilt, and we get the feeling that that is the real chorus, before a massive soundscape of a guitar solo from Stevie comes in. After that, we’re back to a short verse accentuated by an acoustic in the background, another pre and chorus as the entire track builds and swells like a Brian Eno / Roxy Music / mid-U2 era track.
We love the harmonies that Lexi provides from her position behind the keyboards - it adds a lush dimension that most bands don’t implement. We also dig the chord progression they use in the chorus and lines “life can be so complicated, innocence is over rated” - it really helps to expand the tracks musicality and keeps it fresh. But the biggest draw for this track has to be it’s nonconformist form. It matches perfectly the lyrical content - a series of “just once” type moments, so why should it follow a standard form? Kudos to Stevie’s guitar work on this - he’s really got his tones down.
We really enjoyed this track and can see why they were recently featured on BBC radio and quickly gaining popularity. Where so many bands are screaming for attention with an in your face attitude and digital tricks, The Lunar Keys are relying on the basics of composition, soundscape and melody to create a unique sound.
Make sure you check out their other tracks! “If It Was” and “Stop This” are our other favorites, you can see videos for them on their YouTube channel. We look forward to their future releases, here’s hoping they can do some shows over here in the States soon!