Led By Lanterns may be only just making their full-length debut, but the Birmingham pop rock group have been steadily preparing themselves for this moment for a while. British listeners may already have witnessed their upbeat live shows on past support slots for WSTR, Mallory Knox and Normandie, and now they have ten more tracks to add to the setlist.
Paralysis sees Led By Lanterns wear their hearts on their sleeves from the get go thanks to its focus on mental health struggles. The themes flow through anxiety, helplessness, the diminishing of relationships and relying on those around you to lift you back up, making for a thought-provoking listen (for the most part).
Although describing themselves as a rock band, there is an overpowering pop-influence throughout, relying on Shaun Hill’s high ranging vocals and ever-present enhancements from production. However, the two tracks which delve the deepest into this genre are the most controversial. ‘Criminal’ and ‘DXWN’ fall short not because of their attempt at melding the two sounds, but simply due to a lack of originality or creativity. ‘Criminal’ fails to give any unique flair and features uncomfortable levels of autotune which is just jarring, yet its grand, upbeat choruses do redeem the dull verses.
Just as ‘Criminal’ sounds too similar to Normandie than one would like, ‘DXWN’ sees a mimicking of tropes that are common in Don Broco songs. It’s undoubtedly intriguing with its off-the-beat rhythms and big hooks, but the repeated lyrics “Is it going down? I feel it, if you don’t wait a minute girl, I don’t wanna waste your time, but you’re telling me bye bye” ruin the serious and sincere tone already set. While Don Broco do write similar lyrics themselves, let’s not normalise it.
In spite of these two tremendously poor tracks and the odd filler (‘Satellite’ and ‘Fever’), there are some stand out songs that hold Paralysis together. Opening track ‘Alive’ featuring Trash Boat’s Tobi Duncan, and the title track which follows straight after set an incredible pace. Both are fuelled by preppy yet chugging riffs, fast double kicks, major bouncing choruses and vocals that range from emotive shouts to heavenly warbles. Duncan’s feature in ‘Alive’ is a nice touch; his shouts elevating those of Hill. Although it would have been even better if he was given a bigger opportunity than just a few lines. These two set the bar so high when played in succession, this is probably why the album seems to drop off before the final track ‘Good Enough’ brings it back up again. ‘Good Enough’ is the most emotional of all as its slow and brooding pace allows for the heart-breaking lyrics to be fully taken in. Featuring Mercedes Arn-Horn of Softcult, this is an example of how collaborative songs should work. Given her own verse and sharing the chorus with Hill, they harmonise well together and have certainly brought out the best in one another’s voices.
Paralysis reaches both ends of the spectrum. Its highs are incredible, but its lows are severe. While the majority will be great to witness live, to take in as an overall record, there’s not enough substance to warrant a second play through.