The album opens with the peppy and catchy "Finding Something To Do." It's not the most original song you'll ever hear but the jangly lyrics and fast tempo beat do their best to get you caught up in the pop feel of the band. The next two songs, "Getting Old" and "When We First Met," follow the nice light pop sound formula that would be perfect for relaxing on a beach in warm weather although there isn't anything really groundbreaking or outstanding about either track. Where the album really took off for me though is on the fourth track, "Betrayed by Bones," which I found enchanting and totally caught myself whistling along to on my first listen as the song built upon itself by the second chorus. "You Sleep Alone" has a more punk feel to it with the quick drumming and singing but still incorporates the pop hooks to get your toe tapping. "The Thoughts Game Me the Creeps" has a softer feel with its ukulele backing giving it a surfer quality that is reminiscent of a Jack Johnson song.
Overall, it's a pretty enjoyable album although it sounds more like a summer release than a holiday release album. That didn't diminish my enjoyment of the album at all. I just think the album would have more relevance and a greater audience impact as a summer release because of the generally light feel and tone of the album (there's even a song called "Coppertone" about waiting for a girl on the beach--c'mon now!!). The middle of the album starting with "Betrayed" and running through "I Never Can Relax" is the real high point that shows the growth in song writing by the band making the album a more than worthy successor to Zombies! Aliens! Vampires! Dinosaurs!
Score: 7.5/10
Song(s) to Sample: "Betrayed by Bones" and "Finding Something To Do"
This EP is five tracks long. It opens with "Would It Be?" which is a very seductive song with sultry guitar licks and a slick rap to begin the song. The female chorus plus the keyboard work add a soulful feel to the song that melds well with the rap. "On You" has a very sexy feel with the jazzy horn work and quick rap although with a chorus consisting of "I want to bust/my nut on you" you probably wouldn't want this playing on a first date unless you're on a VH1 reality dating show. "Do You Like It" has a funkier feel with the horn work and vocal work that reminded me of Blackstar. I enjoyed the looser feel to the song and appreciated the subdued energy the song showcased.
Overall, Lifted Crew give us a very unique album with is funk/soul sound that recalls some of the greats from the 70's but with lyrics that you wouldn't want mom or grandma to hear. For example, "Superstar" has horn work that would make Parliament or The Ohio Players envious but also equates being a superstar to being a porn star, so that probably wouldn't fly with an original fan of one of those bands today. I loved the contrast of those two dichotomies though and thought the band blended them extremely well in the music given to us on the EP. Here's hoping they come out with a full length release in the near future.
Score: 8.0/10
Song(s) to Sample: "Do U Like It?"
