Post Description

The latest album by Grace Potter and the Nocturnals, The Lion The Beast The Beat, thankfully endeavors to try something new. Potter's vocals are gorgeous as always, but the overall tone of the Nocturnals has arguably changed - forgoing country for experimental rock, they've also successfully woven electronic influences into the mix. Though this doesn't uniformly characterize the album, the few tracks that do stand out represent a possible future path for the band. And indeed, the results are accessible (while steering away from the mundane or repetitive) and fresh (what we all hoped for).
 
The album's title track starts us off, featuring an enticing instrumental entrance similar to Beach House's "Myth" on Bloom. Though the song finds itself plagued by some cheesy one-liners ("I found the heart of a lion/ In the belly of the beast / and I held it in my hand / And I could feel, I could feel / The beat") just like Potter's past songs (think: "One Short Night" off her last album), the beginning procession is strong and determined, highlighting how the Nocturnals' instrumentals are starting to wade into new waters. Likewise, "Parachute Heart" sounds far too familiar, while "Stars" has a promising start as an acoustic guitar track before the lyrics creep in: "I can't look at the stars/ they make me wonder where you are/ up on Heaven's boulevard." Add the piano accents, and it's way too sappy for its own good.


Verenigde Staten
Pop
Label: Hollywood



1. The Lion the Beast the Beat
 2. Never Go Back
 3. Parachute Heart
 4. Stars
 5. Timekeeper
 6. Loneliest Soul
 7. Turntable
 8. Keepsake
 9. Runaway
 10. One Heart Missing
 11. The Divide