Customer Reviews

This December; It's One More and I'm Free

5 star:		(9)
4 star:		(2)
3 star:		(0)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

Lydia takes patience. That should be said up front. This is not a CD you can crank in your car stereo and go cruising around with your friends. In fact, the dynamic range and the softness of some of the songs is such that you probably won't even hear half of the CD if you have it on as background music.

But if you are willing to give it that close listen, you'll discover a world of musical complexity and beauty that is unmatched in almost any other album I can think of. Every heart-wrenching note of the delicate, understated guitars and every passionate syllable from the two singers is enough to make you want to smile or weep, or both at once. The music is spacey and vast but also quiet and real, and you can often hear the individual strums of the guitar as if the band was in the room with you. The drums are perfect; odd, syncopated rhythms that are understated yet attention-grabbing.

The songs range wildly from four to ten minutes in length, but there is never a dull or repetitious moment, each song building to a dizzying climax and even the longest still leaving you wanting more. This album is a beautifully crafted work of art, executed flawlessly by one of the most talented young bands on the music scene today.

I accidentily found Lydia when I was looking fror These Green Eyes, [love them]and I fell in love. They are a [much needed] breath of fresh muscial air. The guy vocals are ash soft, but can hold more passion then I've heard in a while. The girl vocals are average, but when the two vocals are mixed you have an unbeatable sound. The lyrics are a bit weird, but they work in some odd way. My favorite songs from them are, "December" and "In Your Blood". I have to admit I do enjoy a good Pop=punk band everynow and again, but these guys will definatly be in my player a lot longer than any pop-punk. In two words: They're Great.
-steph

Combine Jimmy eat world's Clarity album with some older slow Death Cab For Cutie and throw in a female backing vocal and you get Lydia. I came across them in the AP 100 artists you need to know for 06 and downloaded a few songs, 15 min later i ordered their cd. It definitley is not something that alot of people are going to jam to at parties, but for a late night car ride, or when you are laying in bed, nothing is better. Oh yea, the people in the band are all just out of high school, so they will only get better. Do yourself a favor and buy this CD so when all your friends get their 4th album 5 years from now and they are on mtv you can tell them that you listened to them back in '06 when noone knew who they were.

This band is simply refreshing, in a world full of ashlee simpson and gwen stefani, how she got nominated for album of the year i'll never know, it's good to know that there are still bands trying to be original, this album is what happens when you mix brand new and pink floyd, throw in a female back-up vocalist and the most unique voice in a genre polluted by bland over-used vocals in the fashoin of taking back sunday, and you get Lydia, mark my words 5 years you will call this band the biggest thing in indie rock since death cab for cutie, but until then this album will suffice just fine

Not often does an indie band make such a hugh impression, but impressions aren't everything it seems nowadays.

Why isn't this band huge? It doesn't always require a major label to get the job done. There is just enough radio friendly catchyness here to make an impact.

Maybe that's why it's not really nessecary, these songs in this album stand together or alone so perfectly balancing one another that it demands to be listened to from track one to ten. Female vocals occasionally finding there way in add such a depth, a relaztion to the songs, that you stop everything and just listen. These songs aren't dancehall or heavy metal, but this album proves the potential of dramatic freeform rock, which isn't in your face.

My hat goes off to Lydia, but no 5 stars sadly in my book, becuase I felt like they could've done so much more here. Every song feels ready to be implanted with the growth of something more, but it just never happens.

Can't wait to hear more.

I first heard Lydia on Indiefeed.com's modern rock podcast back in January. I knew it was something I liked, but I didn't actually get the album until a few months ago. And when I did, the jury was out for several listens. However...

If you buy this album (and you should), be prepared to listen to it once or twice before deciding whether or not you like it. As many others have noted, it's an unusual album, especially when so many other bands are going louder and faster, displaying everything. Lydia is soft, sad, introspective. Their sound is pretty, but never fey or twee. This is real life, beautiful, sad or scary.

The band members are very young, and I think their youth gives the lyrics an immediacy that might be lacking otherwise. However, "youthful" does not mean "musically immature." The music is complex and layered, playing with sound clips, jazz-inflected drumming, and feedback and shimmering sound, but often goes back to simple, acoustic strumming and a plain beat. The powers of vocalists Leighton and Mindy, too, are incredible: Though the voices are soft, they have a subdued but potent emotional power.

The band gained some prominence by winning a contest sponsored by Atticus, and from such beginnings, one might expect either simplistic naval-gazing or same-old-same-old pop-punk (not that I have anything against Atticus, naval-gazing or pop-punk; in fact, I quite like all three), but Lydia rises above and beyond. "This December; It's One More and I'm Free" is an astonishingly beautiful, emotionally moving -- but never indulgent -- album, one that deserves far more listeners than it has.

Coming from someone who's main musical interest consists of The Mars Volta, At the Drive-In, Tool, and Coheed and Cambria, this album was one that I picked up on a whim and I have to admit that it is an amazingly strong album coming from a extremely unknown band. Sais De Sicilia and Antelman's vocals complement one another beautifully, it's just too bad Sais De Sicilia is no longer a member of the band. Definitely a must get for anyone who can get their hands on this album.

Take the distinctive instramentals of The Umbrellas and the raw emotional vocals found in Bright Eyes and you have Lydia; a band at once both beautiful and inspiring. Within this album you will find songs that make you want to weep in awe. Lydia exsposes it's listeners to works of such raw emotion that it's stunning. I highly recommend this album and truly believe that no one will walk away from it untouched.

This album is refreshing, intelligent and tight. A great listen all the way through. I am impressed with the work and highly recommend it.

This cd is really amazing! Very poetic and very original, a great peice of music for anyone.