The Lapse
Heaven Ain’t Happenin’
Southern
The second full length from the Lapse, which is essentially Chris Leo and Toko Yasuda, both of whom also spent time in the Van Pelt. They are helped out on drums here and there, but mostly it’s just them. Both of their personalities shine through clearly.
Circular hooks again entrance as a backdrop for Chris’ familiar poetically spun spoken/sung lyrics, part confessional, part observation, part rant. “I Vow For Now” is a favorite, with a broad open letter over a few carefully plucked notes as the background eventually fades in a noisy swirl. “Basilico Basilica” is the most rockish face presented, and it’s quite good. Just as successful are the songs with the stronger Toko influence. “Aerial” is dark, with Toko’s haunting vocals evoking the mood of a post-crying fit. “Ha’chi” has a hooky bass line over a drum machine and guitar with Toko’s sweet voice singing in her native tongue before switching to English again in the end. “Fruit” consists of a drum machine along with what sounds like toy keyboard, and Toko’s hushed, sweet vocals once again. The subject is a little silly, but it’s cute and catchy enough to stick. “S.O.S.” seems to be the perhaps the most obvious average of the two styles, with Toko’s singing and Chris’ guitar work both coming through strong, along with some nice chiming bell accents.
A wonderful record beautifully showcasing what these two can do together.
Southern Records, P.O. Box 577375, Chicago, IL 60657; http://www.southern.com
