Modern Lakes
Better Times
By Spencer Perry

Better Times by Modern Lakes has one thing that most albums don’t ever get close to having: flow. Flow is crucial in creating a listening experience instead of a round disc with music inside of it. The musical styles are hard to pinpoint, but Modern Lakes sound influenced by a host of genres ranging from post-punk to alternative rock to borderline art rock. It’s good stuff with plenty of surprises and new takes on old cliches. The opening title track is probably one of the most schizophrenic songs on the entire record. “Better Times” is upbeat and hard driving but at the same time gentle and warm. However, the song doesn't come close to being one of the album’s high points, specifically “Time Bomb”, “A Long Goodbye”, and the production on “Perfect World”, which are the best parts of Better Times, but even then these are only a small part of the picture. Modern Lakes understands how to create a soundscape that the songs build on, it's almost as if the studio is another member of their band. I had never heard of Modern Lakes until I listened to Better Times, but from my understanding they began as a small acoustic combo and branched out into a full fledged band. This collection of songs really showcases the strength of the musicians and the talents of the production team. Even if the songs hadn’t been as good, the use of fading, double tracking and reverb would have made this album light years superior to most. Modern Lakes are off to a good start, hopefully you can track down a copy of Better Times or check them out live sometime. OVERALL: A At the Media Club Feb. 3rd, 2010

CD release on Feb 3rd at the Media Club with Peppersands and the Finnegans Posted: Jan 15, 2010