Lapush - Somplace Closer to Here (2005)

Genre- Indie Pop/Rock

Lapush hails from St. Louis, Missouri. This is their debut album on the 456 Entertainment label. Lapush crafts nice Indie Pop songs with a distinctive British feel. It is pretty obvious that the band counts Radiohead as one of its primary influences. Also are hints of influence from the Stone Roses and perhaps Blur. Vocalist Thomas Donovan often sounds like Thom York from Radiohead, which for me is a distraction to the melodic pop they craft. It sounds as though Donovan is trying too hard to copy his influences rather than use his own voice. The album features melodic pop guitar hooks and relatively uplifting beats to move the album forward quickly and perhaps too cleanly. In the end, I find this album to be a tribute to Lapush's musical heroes rather than a distinct new sound from a new band. This album is very respectable and Lapush's potential can be seen in their skill to craft nice hook laden tunes. I would like to see them explore their own music on the next album and capture their very own collective sound. Notable tracks are Sticking Around, Say Something and Tout le Monde.

Rating- 5/10