LIGHTNING BOLT - EARTHLY DELIGHTS (LOAD 126)

SO I HAVEN'T REALLY HEARD ANY OF THE RECENT FOUR FULL-LENGTH LIGHTNING BOLT STUDIO RECORDS OR EVEN THE COLLABORATIVE STUFF THEY DID WITH THE FLAMING LIPS. AS I SAID IN THE REVIEW OF HYPERMAGIC MOUNTAIN - IT WAS NOT A RECORD THAT LEFT ME WANTING MORE. BUT ALSO THE GAP BETWEEN 2005 AND 2009 WAS, FOR ME, QUITE A BIG ONE IN TERMS OF LIFE-CHANGINGNESS. I WASN'T GOING TO DIY SHOWS SO MUCH ANYMORE AND IT FELT LIKE THE WORLD HAD SPLIT BETWEEN THE BANDS THAT MADE IT AND JUMPED TO HIGHER TIERS OF INDIE ROCK AND THOSE THAT DIDN'T AND WENT BACK TO DAY JOBS OR DETACHED NON-ROCK PROJECTS.

THIS ISN'T ANY RADICAL DEPARTURE OR 'ARTISTIC MATURATION'. THERE'S A CLEANER ASPECT TO THE BASS AND A BIT MORE SEPARATION IN THE MIX. MAYBE NOT ALWAYS AT FULL GUN FRANTIC. BUT IT IS BASICALLY LIGHTNING BOLT DOING WHAT THEY DO. MAYBE IT'S NOT QUITE AS INNOCENT OR PLAYFUL AS PREVIOUS RECORDS. I STILL DON'T FEEL I WAS WRONG TO CHECK OUT ON LIGHTNING BOLT TO BE HONEST.

THERE'S SOME COOL STUFF AND CLOSING FREAKOUT 'TRANSMISSIONARY' IS REALLY COOL (THOUGH IT REMINDS ME OF A GY!BE SONG FOR SOME BIZARRE REASON, SAME SCALE I'D IMAGINE) BUT THE AGE OF LIGHTNING BOLT AS A SIGNIFYING FORCE OF IMPORTANCE SEEMS TO HAVE PASSED. IF YOU LIKE THEIR EARLIER WORKS IN A MORE UNCRITICAL SENSE THEN THERE IS NO REAL CHANGE HERE AND YOU SHOULD GET THIS.