Lemondaze - Celestial Bodies

Awash with sweeping shoegaze and ambient rock, ‘Celestial Bodies’ is a curious introduction to Cambridge-formed, London-based trio Lemondaze. The band proudly wear their influences on their four-track debut. The slow building ‘Twin Paradox’ introduces the outfit as sprightly, fresh responders to diffusive classics like ‘Loveless’ and ‘Souvlaki’ with touches of more modern appropriators like Beach House and Wolf Alice in the mix too. ‘1990 nine’ is a highlight, starting soft before kicking into gear to reach a sweet spot of rapturous, dissonant guitars, which the hefty ‘io’ only adds to. Celestial Bodies’ is easily compared to a long list of names, testament to how well the outfit evoke their heroes, however there’s not a lot here that feels original. It would be interesting to put the trio in a room with a producer like Craig Silvey (The Horrors) or Speedy Wunderground’s Dan Carey - a more curated approach might help the trio achieve a sound that grabs the attention more effectively. It’s clear there’s an artistic vision here, even if it’s yet to be exercised in its fullest form.