Frankly My Dear - The Lake Lurkers

March 2020 has seen the world locked away under quarantine and, while that means you’re stuck with your friends/family, out of a job and going stir crazy trying to decide which flavour of instant-noodles to have for breakfast, lunch and dinner today, it gives some of us the opportunity to forget about worldly troubles and bash out progress instead. The Lake Lurkers’ single 'Frankly My Dear' is a prime example of this as George Linley works at his solo project, making the decision to bring the release forward in this time of reflection, keeping the creative juices flowing.

Punk? Or Grunge? Or Both?

Linley’s motifs are almost signature in style. The chord progressions are simple but encapsulate the energy, the bass is driven and aggressive and we are even treated to a solo that fits into the happy medium of all of the things I just mentioned. The song is two and a half minutes which can be dangerous for a single, especially if an audience is left waiting between releases and expects more, but Linley’s song-writing stays short and to-the-point without feeling like it was brushed over too quickly. In essence, Frankly My Dear is a garage punk track and Linley alone has enough angst and eagerness to challenge your average garage full of punks. When he approached me about this review I already knew what the track was going to sound like, which is a positive representation of how stylistic playing can impact your image and profile, and he definitely has a growing reputation for this, but I don’t think it would hurt to see the boundaries pushed out further with his next creation.

Intense Discussion

The last Lake Lurkers release had me dissecting its theme of politics and relations to the current times. With Frankly My Dear, Linley brings it back to a more personal discussion of mental health: something I think a lot of us can identify with, especially considering recent events. Confrontational guitar and bass stand either side of raw vocals as Linley shows off his venture into grunge-like ‘screams’. I can really tell that, since the last EP, he has really come into his own style, fitting his voice but also the emotive nature of his music. The key to heavy vocals is to find an ironically controlled balance between proper technique and not holding back. Showing that he has bounced off of my criticism of his vocals on his past work its genuinely refreshing to hear him open all cylinders and f*ckin’ go for it. I try to avoid the cliché parallels but Linley really does give me strong Kurt Cobain vibes with his vocal style and, while I think it could still do with some development, he has taken big strides in the right direction with this release. I feel like I can hear him becoming more confident in his ability and his message.

Choose Your Weapon

I don’t generally have a problem with electronic features; backing tracks or programmed instruments, and as a DIY project everything is done on a budget, however I would contest Linley’s decision of using programmed drums on this track. As long as it sounds good, it’s punk to have things imperfect and raw. Classically, punk artists would pick up the nearest instrument to them in an endeavour to make as much noise with it as humanly possible. While Linley definitely achieves that with the other instruments, I find the drums are a bit too perfect and consistent.

On a programme such as Logic it is possible to play around with the ‘velocity’, or the strength at which a hit is tracked. Varying this can give a more natural sound as, unlike robots, humans are very unlikely to connect with a drum or cymbal with the exact same velocity every time the stick makes contact. My outlook on this is that it is an artist’s decision to consider this; in a lot of music drum machines are essential, but I think for a punk track taking away some of the computerised perfection would add more feel and would cement the anger that Linley’s guitar and vocals portray so well. In the eyes of a producer, real drums should sound as close to being programmed as possible, and programmed drums should sound as close to being real as possible. You’ve won if you can’t tell between them.

Keep Lurking

Between Frankly My Dear and The Lake Lurkers’ last EP Propaganda, it is clear to me that this project is filling a hole in Linley’s music career; a hole that can only be filled with fast, angry and energetic music. It is common for musicians to branch out and try different projects and genres, but I find I too always end up falling back on what I love. In this time of isolation and separation it is hard to find the motivation to create and love, but Linley shows us that it is still entirely possible. Absorb some sunlight, eat healthily and create something as, not just the end product, but the process can be refreshing and motivating in itself. The Lake Lurkers’ Frankly My Dear is available on streaming platforms now.