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Lemonade - Lemonade

Album Reviews

What do you get when you cross Brooklyn with California and add a dash of cowbells?

What do you get when you cross Brooklyn with California and add a dash of synth and cowbells? Yes, we said cowbells, and funnily enough we quite like it.

Lemonade are a hip trio making hip music, as proved by their self-titled, debut mini-album, 'Lemonade'. Recorded and mixed by Chris Coady (Yeah Yeah Yeahs and Blonde Redhead, to name a few), the band cite ‘grime and dubstep’ as forming the base of this six track offering. We’ll be honest, we’re not quite sure what that means (whatever happened to the good ole days of just 'rock and pop'?) but, labels aside, it’s worth a listen.

Each of the six tracks is exciting and different, serving as justification for the rave reviews these guys received after their SXSW visit earlier this year. Favourites include 'Big Weekend', throughout which percussionist Alex Pasternak’s Latin music training is prevalent, and 'Real Slime', for its arcade feel and jazzy use of echo. 'Nasifon' is also noteworthy; showcasing the evidently multicultural, multitalented Pasternak’s Arabian musical background, this time, the perky beat and haunting vocals compliment the peaks and troughs of the soundscape marvellously.

We have to admit that this is not your everyday, sing-along music. Some of the tracks seem a tad long, with 'Bliss Out' failing to excite much after the 6 minute mark. However, whack this on after a couple of shots of tequila and you’re golden. Rating: 6/10