Material: If Annie Lennox fronted the Smiths you might get the dream pop sound that is Lemolo. There is a fairly consistent formula to their music that is overall very soothing. The composition of songs like “Letters” have a masterfully built- in crescendo thanks to cymbal work, keyboard sustain and clever lyrics. “Watch the Moon” is the one song with an edge that proves to be the definite highlight of their set.
Musicianship: Lemolo fills the gaps of being just two people with keyboard loops as Grandall layers this with her effect-heavy guitar work. The timing of this is always a challenge when done live and can always stand to be improved. The primary concern here is just how long to let a loop run. At points the loops do tend to go on just long enough to make the audience antsy, but Grandall wisely uses the time to get her guitar in tune. Also filling that space is the sound of Centoni’s atmospheric mallets. While these are easily heard in the mix, there are moments when the choice of just using sticks on his rims surprisingly does not project well in the venue. This probably could have been remedied with a different mic placement, as his kit is slightly larger than standard.
Performance: Grandall and Centoni proved to be personable stage performers. Hailing from Seattle they commented on the excitement of touring the Hollywood Hills. Unfortunately once they brought up the topic of Pokemon there was an audible buzz in the venue that overpowered the following song. While Grandall did perform some songs specifically on the keyboard, which added some variety to their set, it was her guitar work that really excelled. In particular, for the song “Watch the Moon” she demonstrated an interesting guitar strumming technique that was both theatrical and dovetailed nicely with her echo effect.
Summary: The primarily guitar-based songs are the most interesting here, largely due to some very unique effects from Grandall. Again, “Watch the Moon” is the most engaging song of their set. While the group has their dynamics down well, they may consider tightening up these extensive compositions and shortening their banter segues to further energize the performance. As a whole Lemolo’s music is extremely cinematic and could easily be transitioned into a music score for film or television.
The Players: Meagan Grandall, vocals, keyboards, guitar; Adrian Centoni, drums, bass.
Photo by Manny Dominguez
Venue: The Mint
City: Los Angeles, CA
Contact: [email protected]
Web: lemolomusic.com
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