Almost exactly one year ago, I gushed about Lustre's lone 1996 full-length, which remains a highly recommended bargain bin gem. So, it's coincidental timing that last weekend I was reminded that there's an obscure unreleased Lustre outtake on YouTube. While digging around online for more information about that particular song, I stumbled upon a comment that casually mentioned that members of Lustre "still play," citing The Feeds.
Well, back to Google I went, and sure enough: 2/3 of Lustre are now The Feeds, and have been for, like, seven years now!? It's a damn shame that it took me so long to come to this realization, but again with the coincidental timing, 'cause the trio literally just released a new full-length a couple of months ago (which follows a five-song CD EP way back in 2014). This is especially exciting due to the fact that—just like Lustre—pretty much every song's a winner. Hell, one track, "Soiled Blue," is even a reworking of an old Lustre B-side called "Sexy Yard Raker" from 1995!
In the words of the band, call it "melodic, riff-driving rock 'n' roll." It definitely has that alt.-rock foundation that Lustre fans will recognize, it's just slightly more dialed-back and straight-on, so in lieu of that "grungy" '90s aesthetic, there's more of a rockin' twang to the vibe. It all boils down to killer songwriting, though. I don't buy much digital-only music these days, but I was all over this with a quickness. I haven't been all that amped-up on much in the way of new music lately, so this really hits the spot, and has a great chance of landing on my eventual list of year-end favorites for 2020.
Purchase The Feeds via Apple/iTunes, Amazon, or stream away through Spotify.
