Lemon Lime Tennis Shoes
A New Hope

Hailing from Warwick, Rhode Island, Lemon Lime Tennis Shoes has made some waves in New England as an up and coming ska and punk band with great potential. I first saw LLTS over the summer at The Living Room in Providence, where the group appears quite often. The band released their sophomore disc, entitled A New Hope, on December 1, 2005 at the Living Room with In the Face, Alto-Sound Fiasco, and The Delegates. This five-track creation was recorded and mixed in a friend’s basement and is thus limited in its quality and professionalism. Despite this, their new release, A New Hope, shows off the multi-faceted and upcoming band that is Lemon Lime Tennis Shoes.

The disc kicks off with the fast-paced ska of “Save the World.” Right off the bat, you can hear that the mixing showcases certain aspects of the recording, but almost negates others. The horn and vocal leads always seem to be way over the top of the rhythm section, which can hardly be heard at all. The mix in the rhythm section is good before the horns come in, and the horns are clean, but it’s difficult to find the tempo in the drums because they’re so low in the mix. The catchy horn hooks and vocal harmonies that LLTS uses really grab your attention, as do the relatively predictable vocals, especially in the chorus. The vocals have a ton of reverb on them, and can sometimes be a little off tonally, but this is just due to the amateur recording. When I saw LLTS live, the two lead vocalists really nailed every note, and I think the exposure of the vocals in the mixing really leaves them open to criticism. The horn section of a sax and two trumpets is very tight, but a little on the high end, and might benefit from a trombone or a lower sax. However, you can’t ask much more of the horn tracks that these guys lay down – they really stand out as exceptional. The chaotic ending of horns, vocals, and a fast-paced rhythm section puts a nice stamp on this opening track. The next tune up is “Drag You Down,” another fast-paced ska track with a catchy horn hook and some really definitive and complicated bass lines. When the vocals come in they’re slightly out of tune, and the lyrics almost sound spur-of-the-moment with generalized and cliché statements like “She doesn’t think she’ll make it too far in life; it’s funny how your mind doesn’t think that way at all.” When you hear little glimpses of the drum, bass, and guitar parts in the mix, they really become highlights of the track along with some nice sax and trumpet solos. The third track, “Time is Running,” is a punk tune that follows the previous vocal trend, but contains some really awesome and tight rhythm section parts with some guitar melodies that definitely should have been mixed higher. Ska bands that drift into punk generally get very simplistic and four-chord, but this track really shows off elements of the band previously unheard. The choruses feature some excellent backing vocals and some gang vocal tracks that inject some life into it. Although I wish for some horn parts in this tune, it does stand apart as an excellently written and performed track that really sounds natural for LLTS. “Dance With Me” is my favorite track on the recording, as it incorporates some excellent and danceable two-tone with vocal harmonies and a sing-along chorus that makes for an exceptional addition to their live show. The lyrics really stand out from the rest of the disc as creative and exceptionally performed, backed by some simplistic horn parts that really fit the track. The closing number on the disc is “Home Again,” another punk tune with awesome vocal harmonies, bass, guitar, and drums. One of LLTS’ trumpet players duals as a second guitar player, so punk is very possible live, which is definitely a plus. The guitar solos in this track aren’t perfect as the tone quality is questionable, but the performance is definitely skillful. LLTS’ punk songs don’t get boring or repetitive and it really adds a unique touch to this disc.

I really enjoyed hearing some of Lemon Lime Tennis Shoes' recordings, although they’re not perfectly recorded or mixed. These guys have tons of musical skill and energy, both live and recorded, to really get a listener excited. Although LLTS hasn't made a perfect release, they have definitely given it their all, and what they’ve done with basement recordings is to be commended. I definitely recommend picking up Lemon Lime Tennis Shoes’ release, A New Hope, and supporting an emerging and talented group of guys.

Reviewed By:  Todd Springer

Date:  Sat 2 Sep 06

Score:  8.0

Only registered users may post a comment.

There are currently no user submitted comments.

Powered by Simple Review