Album Review: LÜT – Mersmak

LÜT have been around since 2015, released their first album back in 2017 and as they quoted on their inception “we want to become the most ambitious rock artists in the world”, well that being a very ambitious statement in it self, you will not be surprised that they are definitely not your average rock band, otherwise this statement would have been rather a foolish target.

So here we go with the second instalment of a band that aims high, a band that are Norways answer to, well let’s see who.  Forget what went before (although all bands are the sum of their past) and enjoy this album for the weird mix of rock/punk/pop/indie it is.

‘Mersmak’ a need for more or ambition, kicks us off on the journey, what hits you immediately is the shrill vocal, not what you were expecting from a rock album maybe, a welcome deviation from the norm though.  Musically this album hangs its hat in so many ambitious places, the rock is at its core, but you can so easily be taken off to a pop/indie place or in the case of ‘Strictly Business’ your dragged along like a rag doll to its anthemic beats, still the vocal again grounds it in hardcore punk Left Over Crack kind of place.

Because honesty should always be at the core of writing, I do have to say that shrillness of the vocal did for a short time become a little much, but this only lasted for the first listen, I urge all who listen, to give this some time, if you do struggle with it, please persevere, it is so worth it!

Like when you get the first bars of ‘Ingenting Å Angre På’ its pure Paramore heart (of which there are many in this album) is apparent, then the vocal hits like a sidewinder, blowing all your expectations apart, ‘Bankok Nonstop’ also gives out its Foster The People melodic eclectic sound, only to be smothered in shrill, but it works! And it’s LÜT.

As the title track hints at, this album pushes at boundaries, aims for the jugular, treads new ground, and 100% searches for flavour, ‘Homme Fatale’ has so much of this, it in so many ways reminds of the band Spycatcher with its need to stretch its wings across the rock world, simple punk riffs, heavy rock beats all smothered with melody and a smattering of angst.

We’ve covered so much ground from start to finish of this beauty, and guess what, it’s not over yet.  Even the short instrumental that is ‘Krei’ has you wondering if the Killers entered the room and left some essence, then to finish Psychedelic Furs esk ‘Indiä’ brings things to a close.

How do we sum this album up then?

Ambitious (they said that), Unique (they wanted that), A Rock/Punk/Indie band (they aimed for).

What they actually did, was make an album that is pure LÜT, an album that takes classic, then drives innovation to its limits.

Is the world ready for a band like this?  Hope so!

Out on February 12th via Indie Recordings

Go to the Bands to get your hands on this album WEBSITE and for all that is LÜT

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