| The name of this band, and their album
title, says a lot. Or nothing at all, depending on how you look at it. The generic quality
certainly won't mislead any listeners. It's not like The Leah Galyean Band decided to call
themselves Skullcrusher or Hush. No, they're The LGB, and heck, if it worked for Dave
Matthews, why not singer Leah Galyean? A Northwestern grad, Galyean wanders through the
terrain of her own psyche on 27 Minutes of Rehearsed Material and comes out ahead
with her high register trills, buttressed as they are by the rich guitar textures and
in-the-pocket beats of her bandmates. For those of you who think it's about time for the
death of irony, The LGB will refresh with their earnestness and eyes-pried-wide-open
optimism, especially on the single, "One of Those Days" (this disc includes the
song twice, one version is a radio edit). "Where is the place before hopeless?"
sings Galyean, knowing sometimes that's the closest we can get to hopeful. In other hands,
her material may come across as too maudlin, and while the way she tackles the harsh
experiences of her youth on "Close My Eyes" is so on-the-sleeve it's alarming,
it's also undeniably honest. On "Train to Take," she sounds angrier, more
theatrical. On this track, her powerful voice, exploring it's lowest lows and highest
highs, while nearing histrionics, could also be favorably compared to PJ Harvey's or that
of Sleater-Kinney's Corin Tucker. 27 Minutes of Rehearsed Material - like its title
- may appear a straightforward, genreless exercise, but really it's personal, emotional,
tightly-wound pop-rock that, in its best moments, transcends catharsis and extends itself
to the listener. These four songs provide a good introduction to a group that will be
interesting to watch.
The Leah Galyean Band Web Site
Upcoming Leah Galyean Band Show Dates
More
ChicagoGigs.com Reviews
Chicago
Music Discussion Board
|
