Locust – “You’ll Be Safe Forever” – [Editions Mego]

humana   7/6/2014   12-inch, A Library

I read on Wikipedia that this four-piece is known for noisy music and screeched lyrics, and that they wear nylon suits for their concerts. So it was with trepidation that I touched needle to vinyl. It was a pleasant surprise to find that either the band has mellowed, or Wikipedia had it all wrong. Either way, every minute of listening to this was enjoyable. Electronics, Rhodes, and synth effects lent an underworld soundtrack vibe to the songs, which started and ended with 1 and 13 being soothing (especially 13), and the in between songs build to a nice beat-driven energy. Vox sound otherworldly (as in computer-generated), and the lyrics on 8 are particularly worth listening to. Side A starts tracking smoothly together starting at 4.