Love is a powerful emotion. It can be the inspiration for a ton of different emotions, serving as fuel for a fluttering heart or a broken one. For Lemon Knife, it’s the fuel that powers their latest album, “Ignite!” The album is one that takes a ton of musical twists and turns, exploring different elements and genre of rock and uniting them with their musicianship and passion. The track that kicks it all off is the title track.
“Ignite!” has a heavy guitar riff that hits the left ear with a jam that will get your head moving before the drums smack down on the right ear. The bass is smashed between this sonic sandwich perfectly as the vocals hit the scene. The husband/wife duet’s words do a fantastic dance together, with Mia Blixt-Shehan and John Retterer-Moore balancing each other out with the harmonic and hardcore, respectfully. It’s a title track that makes a stellar first impression with a title that perfectly sums up the power it kicks the album off with.
“Kirkwald In A Day” is the first stand-out track on the album. The intro creates a mysterious and dark atmosphere, with airy guitars that entrance the listener with an airy allure. When the bassline creeps up from the depths, it does nothing but add to the mysterious aesthetic before the vocals of Mia Blixt-Shehan tears the listener away with a cry of “wolf moon!” It’s followed by a slow snare whose taps act as a lure for the ears to guide you through the song as the soft vocals caress the track. As the track goes on, guitars take on a more airy quality while the bassline creeps on, with a groove that’s fun to follow. The drums make a big impression here, as their impact is unmissable during the more dynamic vocal segments, with their most powerful moment being the absolutely show-stealing outro. It’s just one of the many things that gives “Kirkwald In A Day” its charm and is a track one looks forward to on repeat listens.
“Grow Old In Main” follows it up. Heavy distorted riffs come at you like a kick to the face, which is like whiplash after the previous track. It’s an easy groove to slip into and keeps up with the high octane drums that come after it. The vocals of John Retterer-Moore are raspy and wild, with a playful edge on the hardcore aesthetic the track carries. This is felt the most during the chorus, where the track amps up but takes on a bouncy quality as Retterer-Moore sings gleefully about why he’d love to “grow old in the woods of Maine.” The track fully embraces the rebellious nature of its hardcore aesthetic, with lines such as “if the police copter runs out of petroleum, if it’s false that ether leaves stains on linoleum and if those muddy footprints all get swept away by rain” fueling the conclusion to the chorus. It makes the track a memorable one, whiplash and all.
“Extremely Bizarre Love Triangle” is another stand-out track that hits the ground running. It wastes no time telling its story with contemplative, reverb-laced guitars and a deep bassline backing up the vocals of Mia Blixt-Shehan. It’s an instantly captivating mix that demands attention from the top, with lyrics such as “you died at 26 of undiagnosed arrhythmia, I died at home in the dark.” The song is an emotional one that sees the vocalist bare her heart for everyone to see, with a fantastic indie rock style instrumental serving as the perfect backdrop for the story. Lines such as “That was the longest night, the darkest fight What does the dawn owe to the moonlight? The past fights the present in black and white You’re treating me like a copyright” and the dynamic sonic carpet it walks in on is captivating which makes the lyrics stick with you. “Extremely Bizzare Love Triangle” is another track one looks forward to on repeat listens, but only if you can bear the weight of the emotions held within.
“Meet Me In The Mountains” makes a much groovier impression than the rest. The drums roll the listener into the track with gusto before seamlessly moving into a kickin’ beat. It’s enough to get lost in before the distorted guitar riffs come in to clear the way for the vocals of Blixt-Shehan. The airy vocal aesthetic goes a long way to balance out the heavy instrumental profile, making the track one that’s easy to groove to. The track is infectious and catchy as the lyrics are punchy, with lines such as “It may pay the balance for you, to live and die as an accountant. When your scales are leaning askew, come and meet me in the mountains” sticking with you long after your first listen. The changeover that hits just after the 2-minute mark is legendary and kicks the track into high gear, where the guitars become unleashed and the drums start rolling. The solo hits like a freight train and is impossible to not rock out to, making “Meet Me In The Mountains” another one of those tracks that brings a smile to your face when it starts up on repeat listens.
While not every track may catch with everyone, there is a lot to love in “Ignite!” Each one has its own personality and brings its own musical influences, making the album an eclectic listen when you run through it from start to finish. These sounds come through perfectly thanks to some fantastic production and audio mixing which makes tracks such as “Meet Me In The Mountains” and the title track pop. There are plenty of familiar themes that unite the album and give it a fantastic sense of cohesion, however. Dynamic drum beats, deep bass grooves and eclectic guitar riffs along with the distinctive vocal profiles of the husband and wife duo give Lemon Knife an instantly recognizable quality. It makes for an album that deserves a shot from everyone, especially the rock fan looking for something with a different kind of edge.
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