GASPING for a breath of fresh air? Searching for custodians of a beacon of light in dark and troubled waters? Then “Czech” out Lighthouse Keeper’s debut release Drowning.
This splendid, rich and infectious slice of post-hardcore emo, while relatively brief at 28 minutes, arrives as a complete, accomplished work that could, should (MUST!?) go far.
Most of all, in these still Covid-crippled times, these guys scream out to be heard in a live environment. A fresh and ferocious voice of this type offers confirmation, if needed, that there is a music world out there, a crowd and a community, internationally, that feels the same, waiting for us “on the other side”. Lighthouse Keeper have the commitment, the drive, the hooks, the songs … what we all yearn for. As they say themselves: “And now I see/ Every single one/ Who holds on with me/ And now I know/ The only place/ Where I want to be.” Play it loud.
Track titles on Drowning, from the sounds of the sea and acoustic guitar opening of Waves/Seagulls to the finale, Innocence/Naivety, all include a “/” slash punctuation thing – a nice touch, intriguing if not unique.
There are moments of subtlety – that acoustic opening, a nice piano outro on the excellent Sides/Lights – but the propulsive momentum rarely flags. Stand-out moments include the drum work on Lines/Consequences, the guitar gamut of Crushed/Disgusted, the all-round intensity of Insane/Alone (“I’m not OK/ I’m not OK …”) and Reborn/Resurrected (“If I lose/ If I fail/ Then I’ll say/ I tried …”).
Something about Prague-based Lighthouse Keeper reminds these particular ears of 2000s US band Finch, with less of the pop, more of the “screamo” (that’s enough genre categorising – Ed). Drowning, quite simply, is one of most assured debut albums I’ve heard in years.