The Bottom Line
Looker are New York City inheritors of the best parts of the punk sound. Their melodic, energy-infused tunes sound good because the swagger and strut they express are flourishes added to well-constructed pop songs, and not surface in the place of substance. Through their shows in dirty Lower East Side clubs, they've gained not only a following, but a confidence that lets their angry love songs and wistful anthems sprawl where other "girl-groups" crawl. Calling them a "girl-group" even sounds limiting. They are just a great new group.
- Three-part female harmonies
- A wandering melodic guitar
- "Hey Kids"
- "Born Too Late (1978)"
- "Gregory"
- You haven't heard of them yet
Description
- Looker released three EPs before Born Too Late, their first full-length.
- Born Too Late was recorded and mixed in only 8 days. Can you tell?
- Looker is Boshra AlSaadi, Nicole Greco, Rachel Smith and Robbie Overbey.
- Born Too Late is set to be released on January 9th, 2006.
Guide Review - Looker "Born Too Late"--Album Review
Looker may feel Born Too Late -- but for what? The original punk movement? (They seem too skilled at pulling from the entire history of the genre to wish they were around when it was still working out its kinks). The original DIY movement? (They seem to have mastered the self-promoting DIY game with the help of the Internet; why would they want to face the challenges of way-back-then?) The original...oh, man, this isn't going anywhere. My point: Looker may bemoan the present moment, but their music doesn't shy away from what is going on right now -- both in their personal lives, and in the current musical moment. Their songs are danceable, not for your pleasure -- but just to get you on your feet. Once there, you have to decide. But surely there will be some thrown elbows involved. The best songs on their debut EP (which are hard to choose), convey the pumping fists of heartfelt conviction even when they aren't trying to convince.
OK. Enough gushing. What's wrong with the album? I think it might benefit from more crystal-clear production -- but then it might not lose the grit of these gals guts. More likely, I, the listener, could benefit from sitting in front of their amps while they play live. As a stand-in, this debut is pretty good stuff. (There, did that show my objectivity?)
The highlight of the record is the lilting chorus of "Gregory," a love song with a bitter edge. "Gregory, Gregory, Gregory, we should have been married." Why? Well, I don't know. But when the three vocalists of Looker sing that line with triple harmony and triple conviction, I can't help but triply agree.