After decades in the rock scene, Local H are still making fun, surprisingly fresh music, writes Mike Stebens.
Local H have released a fun modern rock record that can be recommended to anyone who’s into hard rock or alternative rock and grunge. The album sounds surprisingly fresh for a band that has been in the business for 25 years. This is as good a starting point as any to discover the band.
This is not your standard hard rocking album, which gets kind of boring in the second half. Each song contains plenty of little details that make the listening experience interesting and will reward those that give this one a couple of spins. The album is well produced and full of rich guitar tones that perfectly mesh with the vigorous drumming. The only break from the noise is the acoustic and quiet Sunday Best. It is an especially nice touch how the last three songs blend into one another.
It never gets boring during the 55 minutes of playing time. That is largely due to the fact that the band never lets go of the energy that drives them. They clearly are unhappy about the current political situation in the USA as the first lines of the album make abundantly clear, alluding to Trump MAGA hats and the rape allegations against Brett Kavanaugh (‘I got a brother in a cheap red hat / Hazy days in a judge’s frat’). What follows may not be the most nuanced lyrics, but that is probably not what a listener would expect from a hard rock album anyway.
Recommended tracks: Patrick Bateman - Turn The Bow – Beyond The Valley Of Snakes – Defy And Surrender