The Lemmings
Follow
Park Bench
Well, how do you do? Follow, by Tampa Bay’s the Lemmings, has me jumping up and down in glee that they are actually showing some pride in musicianship and seriousness in making it! (This is a rare occurrence in Tampa Bay, believe me!) What a lovely surprise! First, let me comment on the professional and beautiful CD cover art. Not only is it original and thought-provoking, but the entire packaging is very professional-looking and even better than what I have received from some of the major record labels! This alone tells me that the guys in the Lemmings are serious about this making-music stuff. Well-produced, full of big sound and sweet harmonious vocals. Right from the very first hit of the “play” button, the Lemmings grab your attention with eerie and sleepy cries that lead into the first tune, “Freedom,” that lulls you into memories of the Verve (and I’m a HUGE fan of the Verve!). I like this tune a lot! Track two, “Undecided,” hits you in the face immediately with a machine gun pounding of drums and then quickly sways into a ride of jangly guitar and more cadence from drummer Richard Belinc. “Alone,” track three, doesn’t let up, even a little bit, but continues with the same jangly guitars, picks up the speed a bit, and adds a swollen chorus of voices. The title track moves into a retrospective of the soul and contains what seems to be a hidden message, but anyone with half a heart can figure this one out! “Follow” still grooves on its own but doesn’t run up the speedometer like the two tracks that come before. “Desire,” which falls in line behind “Follow,” begins with a sweet, sad acoustic over-and-over, then mournfully speaks words of loss and letting go. “Time Well Spent” playfully swings along, but this is about the spot when the CD starts to slow down and gets a little monotonous. Rounding out this debut CD are the tunes “She Runs,” “Jr. Mint,” “Words,” and “I Feel,” which are all glorious compared to what I have heard recently from most local Tampa Bay bands, but still not as strong as the first six tunes. Still, six great tunes out of ten is nothing to sneeze at, nothing at all! Keeping my fingers crossed that the Lemmings continue on in their direction of tune number one with the Verve sound, and keeping my toes crossed that this band continues on with their excellent skills at recording and writing excellent tunes!
