Going on a musical journey as a band is nothing out of the ordinary. But Barcelona hailed quintet Lancaster really have been on one. Starting from their Spanish roots, the alternative rockers have crafted a sound that merges with our British bands in an instance. Their debut album Journeys is a testament to the band’s lust for wanting to explore their horizons, landing them right here on our turf in London. With a 10-track offering, its concise yet packed to the brim nature will certainly get your attention.
The album kicks off with all your expected alternative rock traits in the form of ‘Die Young’. It screams a fearlessness with its anthemic guitar tones, in the mix with gang vocals to promote the inception of the album. Its clear from the get go that Journeys isn’t just a journey in terms of the band, but the way in which the album is musically laid out. ‘Bridges’ is a distinct illustration of this. It has a slightly more mellow tone to the majority of the album’s agile nature. Its allows the tracks to flow much more seamlessly together.
But, perhaps even better is the band’s use of an interlude. ‘Hallelujah’ is a surprise after riff fuelled ‘Deadly Sins’ that packs enough punch to keep your energy levels going for hours. It’s a stunning acoustic beauty that carries an undertone of folk through its violin elements. Its this that you can truly see the band’s heavy influence from Young Guns. Aside from all of this though, two tracks in this record stand out as the stella highlights. ‘Runaway’ leading into ‘Thorns’ carries undeniably the strongest vocals on the record, alongside riffs and melodies so catchy, there’s no stopping you putting these tracks on repeat.
So, how do we sum up Journeys? If you’re a fan of alternative rock, then you’ve more than come to the right place. Lancaster’s appetite for the genre can be seen throughout the record, and that’s something worth recognising. Whilst it can be argued that the record is very much alike to what we know, sometimes that isn’t all bad. If you know how to make the perfect bacon sandwich, why would you want to change it, right?
