Long-anticipated album is worth the wait
“Don’t Make Me Wait” is an apt title for the new Locksley album, as fans shared the feeling as they longed for its release.
And the wait proved to be well worth it.
The newly released full-length album, which hit stores on Jan. 16, lets fans know this band means business.
When asked why the album took so long to release, rhythm guitarist Jesse Laz-Hirsch wrote in an e-mail that it was “because we were doing it in little chunks over the course of a year. We had three fairly large tours that year, so we recorded batches of songs before each one.”
Right from the first track, the garage/pop/rock group pulls out all the stops and pummels listeners with a head-bopping rhythm that cannot help but bring a smile to the listener’s face. Add that to their catchy lyrics, and you have a great opening song. After Locksley has your heart racing, they give you a chance to catch your breath with slower melodies that have a distinct feel of a 1960s British rock love song.
Locksley’s sound has been compared to the music of such British acts of the 1960s as The Kinks and The Beatles, according to the band’s Myspace page.
With a fresh, energetic spin on an old style of music, Locksley has jumped into not only the mainstream, but also the independent music scene. Hailing from Madison, Wis., the members of Locksley knew they needed to make a move if they ever wanted their noteworthy sound to be heard. So band mates Laz-Hirsch, Kai Kennedy, Aaron Collins and Sam Bair packed up their act and moved to New York.
After that, things really started happening for the band.
Considering Locksley is not signed to a record label, they seem to be doing well for themselves.
“We’re recording and releasing all the music on our own,” Laz-Hirsch wrote in an e-mail when asked about their rapid success.
Not only has this band had coverage from MTV, but one of their songs was used in a television commercial. Not bad for a completely independent, unsigned band.
A favorite for fans is the rumor that Locksley’s live shows are quite the spectacle. In fact, that is one of the main characteristics that has helped the band survive in New York. It also didn’t hurt to have been a regular act at CBGB.
Check out Locksley’s Web site, www.bandoflocksley.com, for more band-related fun. You can also hear some off the album “Don’t Make Me Wait” by going to their Myspace page at http://www.myspace.com/locksley. But to hear the best song – “Why Not Me” – you will have to purchase the CD.
