On just the second track of their debut album, Ladyfinger (ne) boldly asks listeners, “Who Believes Enough?” As I listened to that song, and the nine others that accompanied their Saddle Creek release, “Heavy Hands,” I tried to answer the question. And ultimately, I found myself scrambling to find something on their debut release to believe in.
The “(ne)” in the band’s name is an homage to the quartet’s Midwest origins, particularly their Nebraska home base. To that note, the band does have a sort of cyclonic-like quality about them that evokes images of sprawling plain lands with trees and shrubs being pulverized mid-air. While breathtaking in theory, the group’s sound has not yet evolved to a point where they are able to harness all that energy into memorable songs.
To be fair, there are moments where the band seems to see into the eye of the storm and clearly understand their end musical goal. Yet, these moments are fleeting and never last long enough to form one, cohesive song. For example, the electrifying guitar work in “Diet Smoke” only lasts in spurts, being drowned out repeatedly by heavy drums and lackluster vocals. Similarly, the chorus of “Too Cool for School” has an upbeat, arena-rock sound to it and is the strongest track on the album, but deviates near the end tarnishing the overall impression.
Ladyfinger (ne) rests precariously between heavy metal and classic rock. If the band members, Ethan Jones, Pat Oakes, Chris Machmuller and Jamie Massey more fully explored the former genre, I think they’d really have something. Their music lacks the sensitivity and brio necessary to thrive in other arenas. This is evident in songs like “Sea Legs,” and “…Man, Woman…” that are just too one-dimensional.
A hard playing band emerging from the indie lands of Omaha, Nebraska is certainly an interesting proposition. Should Ladyfinger (ne) evolve their sound more towards blazing predecessors like Judas Priest or Motorhead, the result could be sensational. Until then, however, I don’t believe enough in the group. |