Ladyhawk (Self Titled) Album Review

Judging by the album cover, East Vancouver, British Columbia band, Ladyhawk channeled some incredibly powerful sh*t during the recording of their debut album for Jagjaguwar. The artwork looks like the remnants of a weekend in the woods gone horribly bad (or really, really well depending on your point of view). There's trash littered all over the place and that totally nude woman in a freaky mask doing a little dance. The boys in the band are long gone, but they've left their mark behind. The mark of Ladyhawk is more than the block letters left behind in the forest. The mark of Ladyhawk is rollicking, throbbing, storming and stomping rock music soaked in reverb and distortion in the vein of their forefathers: J Mascis and Neil Young. After the brief incantation of "48 Hours," Ladyhawk go right for the rock and roll jugular with "The Dugout" where lead guitarist Darcy Hancock displays axe work that would make both Mr Mascis and Mr Young quite proud. Meanwhile, "My Old Jacknife" is the good old fashioned stomper, with it's bouncing back beat it literally calls on you to stomp along. "Came in Brave" is the stormer with loud heavy and fuzzy riffs battling against Duffy Driediger's painful, fractured vocals. "Teenage Love Song" is your typical fuzz pop rock song, but in the hands of Ladyhawk, the translation of typical fuzz pop rock song means something far greater. Despite having a penchance for storming, and stomping and rocking, Ladyhawk also aptly display the ability to craft nuanced and dynamic music. "Long Til The Morning" is a slow, brooding, moody number occasionally punctuated by bursts of immense guitar action. "Sad Eyes/Blue Eyes" is that type of tortured ballad more commonly associated with Ladyhawk's label mates Okkervil River. I still don't know what Ladyhawk summoned in the woods that night in order to craft such a captivating debut album. I guess the question of how they did it shouldn't really matter. The fact remains that this is one solid release for the rockers that will keep their floor shaking for months to come. Ladyhawk's self titled debut rates a rousing 8 out of 10 on the Rockometer. Ladyhawk - The Dugout.mp3 Jagjaguwar Ladyhawk I Rock Cleveland