Larusso-Life In Static review| THE RETURN OF INDEPENDENT CLOSET

Hello everyone and get ready for the first 'true' Independent Closet on Youtube. As is becoming the norm I have included the video THEN the written review for whichever you prefer, please enjoy!

Video Review

Written Review:

Hello and welcome back to Decoded where we take your favorite content across all media, break them down piece by piece, and see what’s left standing. I’m Keith Legion and let’s launch into today’s Independent Closet review of Larusso’s 2014 release, Life in Static.

History:

Larusso is led by it’s creator and long time lead singer Aaron Condrat who established the band in the mid to late 2000’s in the Salt Lake City area with a few other friends who would later leave the project. This did not stop Condrat though as he continued with a rotating cast of musicians still continuing to release quality content over the next 5 years. It was not until a merging of the local bands “Mess of Me” and Larusso did the current line up stand where it is with Tyler ‘Fizzy’ Grundstrom and Justin Trombetti joining the band as bass guitar and drums respectively. While Condrat does play rhythm guitar and vocals as the music grew so did its complexity which called for the introduction of Nick Sasich on lead guitar. With the band completed assembled in it’s current state, a plethora of songs just ready to be recorded, and the fortitude to make sure they were at their best before release how does Life in Static stack up with the big boys?

The Singles:

Chase the Sun (Acoustic):

Now in press kits there are a few different songs included but going off official single releases we can see that the only two for ‘Life In Static’ are the acoustic version of Chase the Sun and The Voice. Before we dive into The Voice I’d like to offer kudos to the acoustic version of Chase the Sun as it is not officially on the album I have a hard time giving the album itself bo nus points for this song BUT it still has a great progression, instrumental performances, and emotive qualities that I feel the full band version sadly may have slightly squeezed out.

Now in terms of The Voice,

If you enjoy bands such as The Startling Line, Yellowcard, the latter years of Blink-182, or any of that genre of band this song will hit all the right beats for you. Condrat’s vocals cut through the mix just enough to give you a clear understanding of the image he is painting across the instrumental backdrop without hindering the instruments as the intro riff rings out with the constant cymbal taps. Then the song really picks up in the first chorus and it’s at this point that Trombetti’s drums get huge in the mix really adding diversity to the sound going forward in the song. This song is a perfect single as it gives you the best example of what Larusso can offer in this album without weighing themselves down in any pre-conceived notions other releases may have had.

The Rest of the Album…

It’s at this point i’d like to jump through a few of the standout tracks on the album as to navigate any potential listeners to the songs that may strike the best chord with them, yes we do puns here…

Set Phasers to Fun:

Now this song had me cracking up a bit at first. Not due to the song itself but due to the complete subversion of the title. I assumed this would be a fast and furious power-chorded Green Day song about skateboarding and having fun, a staple of punk-pop/00’s alternative. But is instead one of the better acoustic tracks on the album completed with a beautiful guitar solo before fading into a crowd that has been growing in presence since the song started. It has a very almost ukelele quality to the strumming pattern which is a relaxing  break from the rest of the album and allows for Condrat to really show off his vocal prowess with holding the melody on his back throughout the song. This is a great song and I’d highly recommend it as a second listen for anyone looking to dive into their catalog.

Take Me Away/Chemical:

I’ve found that sadly my happiest moments from this album are the slower striped down moments. That is meant as no insult to Trombetti or Grundstrum as they both do a stellar job holding the groove of a song and truly making it their own but the piano ballad Take Me Away and ending acoustic number Chemical were all very well placed on the album. It appears that as the album goes on it shifts from an in-your-face pop-punk album to a more spirited rock album leaving no stone unturned as Larusso is trying everything they’ve ever wanted to on an album and for a majority of the time this works. The risks are very real in this album and it would be much too easy to phone in it and say we are sticking to one type of song and one type of genre which I respect the band for not doing. The album ends with a duet between Condrat and Grundsturm chanting “I will become what I desire,” with a steady snare roll and claps to bring the album to a close with intimacy whether than a bombastic showpiece. This works perfectly and allows the listener to truly enjoy the subtleties of these music makers.

Conclusion:

In all, I would say Life in Static is a solid album that will bring in more listeners to this already great band from it’s wide range of content to the amazing mixing this album is very pleasing to the ear and something very easy to get so entranced in that you forget you’re already at the final song. I give Larusso’s Life in Static a high listen recommend, search this out on Spotify or Youtube.

Fever:

Oh you didn’t think we were done did you? Not by a long shot as the guys of Larusso decided to save the best for last and start our 2016 with a shot of adrenaline straight to the heart. Fever was released towards the back end of 2015 with a music video taking a few months to fully get produced making it’s way to the Youtube’s on January 19th 2016. This song is a day to night shift in Larusso. I could not be happier to report how great this song is.
Most musicians, as mentioned in the last review for The Weeknd album, have an issue with starting off soft and building upon that to crescendo to a big moment. While this may have a been a tiny issue with Larusso during Life in Static, Fever shows this band is constantly evolving it’s sound as this song hits hard and does not let up. The song feels like a true rock and roll song as the bass grooves along brilliantly in the background enhancing the tracks intense driven feel. Then the bridge happens… which offers a breath of air for the listener before drummer Justin Trombetti himself grabs the mic and brings the song back to it’s intense finale with that scream. I highly recommend buying this song as if this is any indication of the direction the band is heading they are about to have quite the bright future ahead of them.