Lord Jeff have a new lineup and a new album Goin' Gray. Out on Decades Records, the new album finds us just in time for the dog days of summer. The band has new members and Fans will most likely hear the difference. The band is a new one. But the sound is still aggressive, guitar-driven and distinctly western mass. Some people will definitely prefer this sound as it is more Goin' Grey sounds like a continuation of 2010's The Lord Jeff. The opening track "Penny Heaven" is a song I fell in love with back when the band leaked an earlier version (an extremely loud and heavily compressed version) on soundcloud. The story seemed to tell of planes flying overhead and pennies on the ground and I was hooked. The lyrics were much more mysterious because not all of them were audible and the mix was hilariously loud which i interpreted as biting satire on the circa 2010 indie/mainstream paradigm. It's still an earworm, and the lyrics are still rich with subtext but i find the true standout track on the album to be the second track "Quap". In a way I wonder if "Quap" would have made a stronger opening track. There is something to be said about how the tracks flow into one another that feels a little less organic than their first album The Lord Jeff. Putting that aside. "Quap" might be best described as an infectious east coast lifestyle anthem. "I sure do miss it back in California where the livin's easy, down by the border". It is not only the best track on the album but it may be the best Lord Jeff track period. The 22 minute affair also contains a perfect studio rendition of live staple "Blessing of The Dogs For Saint Francis", a "Loose Jeans" sister track in "People Magazine", and a classic guitar shredding jam at the end of "Song For New Orleans". It is a concise LP but it gets it's point across with some vivid imagery and memorable hooks and melodies, but it's missing just a little bit of the sort of fun they sometimes have at the expense of their audience, and feels more like a band that is on their best behavior. Over the summer i had been hearing a lot of hip hop on singer/guitarist Sean Goggin's soundcloud. Part of me was expecting a 10 track hip hop infused crossover album (Where is "Pellet Stove"!!!). It just shows you never know quite what to expect with this group. 8.2
reviewed by Mohamed El-Darwish RADIATOR REVIEWS 2014
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