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Love Inks are an Austin born trio consisting of husband and wife, Kevin Dehan and Sherry LeBlanc, as well as recently added guitarist Derek Brown. After going on tour through Europe they were inspired to create this lo-fi electro-pop record, Generation Club. Filled with sultry female vocals, wandering guitar patterns, and endless waves of synth centered around omnipresent drum machine beats, it’s a dreamy mix of tunes that you can spend an evening getting lost in.
The first track on the record is “Solar Diary,” and it takes you into the realm that Love Inks has created for you. The sleepy synthesizers wake up slowly in the opening second, and those drum machine beats kick in, giving the distinct simple sound that will carry on throughout the entire album. The uber feminine and yet simultaneously robotic vocals of Sherry LeBlanc question the realness of something, asking you to “only believe [her].” The vocals seem to fit perfectly along with the blends of synth; the chorus arcing with the strumming of a few simple guitar sounds. The song is interesting at first listen, as you are enraptured by the dreamy landscape of sound, but there are a few moments in which the instrumentation feels bleak and lacking, allowing for a feeling of brief boredom.
Such a song is a good indicator of the rest of the album; it’s easy to be satisfied with the simplicity of the sound at points, and then left wanting a bit more at others. An example of total satisfaction comes on immediate hit, “Outta Sight,” that is fast from the start. A throbbing bass line that won’t quit and lush guitar to accompany said bass really complement LeBlanc’s vocals and this increase in instrumentation throughout the entire song take it to the next level, which is why it sticks out as a track above the rest. There are other tunes that embody the second half of the statement I made in regards to being left a little empty handed. Later in the album it is easier to notice, such as on track “I’m Gone,” in which the drum machine is a little grating and there doesn’t seem to be much novelty to the track in regards to those which have preceded.
Generation Club is a little over thirty minutes in total length, which means that you have really no excuse not to give it a spin. I found a few tracks to add to my listening catalogue, and hopefully you will too.
Before you take off for the holiday, you probably want to get your last bit of rock n’ roll in, and there really isnt’ a hotter ticket in town than the line-up over at Spiderhouse Ballroom on Friday evening. You’ve got several of our Emerging Artists in Big Bill and Tele Novella rocking out, plus the incredible Love Inks performing their album that we put in our Top Austin Albums list for 2013. Plus, as if that wasn’t good enough, long-time act, Party Girls (formerly The Carrots) will be throwing things down too. And, for those of you that like to rock things in a more exciting style, party attire is encouraged. It’s going to be an all out musical extravaganza, and it’s only $10.
