If FAT GOTH are metal in denial, the return of LAPSUS LINGUAE is where murder meets art. Hannibal Lecter would call it delicious. As you’d expect, they are not for the faint of heart. What you’re about to eat could in fact be your own freshly served record collection in a million pieces.
The last ten to fifteen years of hotly tipped Scottish underground bands like Lapsus Linguae serves as a reminder that no matter how much buzz a band has, longevity is unlikely. Bands as great as Senator, Stapleton, Laeto and Macrocosmica have all come and gone. The Flying Matchstick Men, Sluts of Trust, Dananananaykroyd, and The Dykeenies have all come and gone.
Even if a band makes brilliant music, there are some people in bands you wouldn’t be too bothered about if they got run over by a bus. Especially if you happened to be driving that bus. That’s why I enjoy the quote attributed to Sun Tzu - “If you wait by the river long enough, the bodies of your enemies will float by.” As difficult as it is to use restraint in this social media era, if you don’t like a band you’re better off just ignoring them. Odds are high that eventually you’ll spot the obituary. Keyboard warriors can saunter on.
Announcing your farewell gig or intention to disband isn’t for everyone. Some bands just disappear, never to be heard of again.
Until one day they reappear.
Presumed dead, Glasgow art-rock band LAPSUS LINGUAE were always hugely popular with scenesters and gig-goers. Art-rock vaguely hints at an unorthodox approach which they themselves describe as, “neo-classical, piano-constant, post-vaudeville, sub-metallic, progressive hardcore”. Which is either atonal nonsense or deranged genius depending on who you ask.
With Biffy Clyro and Twin Atlantic’s commercial success influencing the aspirations of many Scottish central belt bands, the return of a band who would prefer to stab your record collection and/or musical influences to death could come as a refreshing change. In the same way that alternative comedy deconstructs mainstream comedy and then beats it to death slowly and repeatedly, Lapsus Linguae have always had a taste for similar tendencies.
If you enjoy art in music then you’ll at least get what they’re about. You might still dislike it but admire the intent. With bands like Lapsus it’s all about the execution and the listener keeping an open mind.
When the creative brilliance of bands like Mogwai and Camera Obscura never fails to impress with each release, there’s little opportunity to say “I prefer their early stuff”. For Scottish bands that’s a bar so high they may as well keep it on the International Space Station. Music fans are unforgiving at the best of times so I wonder whether Lapsus Linguae’s previous work could be held up against them when their new record emerges from the studio.
For a sneaky listen, head over to bandcamp and find out for yourself if this resurrection was worth the wait.
VISIT LAPSUS LINGAUE OFFICIAL SITE
HEAR LAPSUS LINGUAE ON BANDCAMP
STAY UP TO DATE ON FACEBOOK / TWITTER
