On Fall In Fall Out, The Luka State manage to manufacture some legit lightning in a bottle with a record that’s just as massive and groundbreaking as some of the early works and debuts from artists like The Subways, The Von Bondies, The Strokes, and The Hives (Basically all the “The” bands of the mid-aughts).
The British quartet tap into all the mid-2000’s feels but ultimately craft their own genre-defying sound compiling big backbeats, theses down and dirty sounding guitar tones, and a vocalist who can do it all in Conrad Ellis.
“Feel It” has that same urgency of The Subways’ “I Want To Hear What You Have Got To Say” from 2005’s Young For Eternity but differs immediately when Ellis’ soulful pipes kick in to take this introductory slab of The Luka State Rawk in another direction entirely by putting on a masterclass in musicianship and sounding like a band that’s been doing this for a lifetime.
“Bury Me” is anxious and a major foot stompin, toe tappin’ banger with Lewis Pusey’s guitars playing off of Jake Barnabas’ drums exquisitely while “Kick In The Teeth” is like U2 circa Pop meeting Kaiser Chiefs/Maximo Park for a ragin’ arena-ready anthem with a monstrously divine chorus.
“Fake News” is frantic yet fun, building from Ellis’ distinct delivery and righteous choruses and later, “Bold” is beautiful as this serene number evokes an almost throwback Amerciana-style of acoustic Rawk in the vein of Goo Goo Dolls (“Iris” definitely comes to mind) or The Gaslight Anthem.
“Room’s On Fire” starts massive before settling into a mid-tempo swingin’ ditty that swoops and sweeps with an irresistible hum provided by Sam Bell’s bass before the title track offers up a big, bad ballad battered down by hymnal choruses, hand claps, and piano licks.
“What’s My Problem” brings it back to the Rawk, sharing some DNA with some of the ’80’s more memorable radio hits (Think “Baby Hold On To Me”) and then “Outro” takes it all out, echoing the title track’s message, ending with a resounding chord that echoes out for a definitive end to one definitive album.
Fall In Fall Out arrives on January 29th through Anti Fragile. You can pre-order your very own copy now by heading here. For the latest of The Luka State, follow their socials by clicking here, here, or here.