Lakota – Hope For The Haunted

A while ago these New York City rockers released a five song EP called Acquaintances. This EP, although slightly forgettable, set a good foot way for the band to walk through and gave the listener a bit of an idea as to what we should expect from the band in the future. Well now the future has came a little bit early, and the band are back again with their debut full length entitled Hope For The Haunted, and after a few listens, its clear to see that their EP did paint a good picture of what to expect.

The twelve song album picks up on what Acquaintances did well but fixes everything they did wrong to make the songs, and the album, stand out a little bit more. It no longer becomes boring after a few listens, and their steady rock rhythms come packed with enough punch to really get your head bopping. Like before, the vocals are strong and determined; but now they have a much bigger sense of originality than before. While there are still tinges of a Jonah Matranga or Scott Radinsky vocal harmonies here, there is more of a Kayne Konency sound to them – a sound that is only his. Laid back vocals that hold strong harmonies along with softer ones.

Other than the acoustic ballad of Wait And See, most of the songs seem to follow a formula that only really breaks into originality on the choruses. Which means you get what you heard on the first track throughout everyone of the next twelve, with only slight differences between the songs. But, like the EP, following this pop-rock formula isn’t a bad thing. Songs like She Has It, Ember, Ornaments, Quiet Like Graves and Jolene The Calamity Queen all come packed with a punch and catchy chorus that make the songs stand out a little amongst the track. A punch that actually makes you check to see what song is playing so you remember it for the next time.

It’s nothing too exceptional, just steady pop-rock throughout that succeeds in getting your head bopping and your mouth singing along. If you liked Acquaintances, then Hope For The Haunted will be right up your alley.