| Sounds Like | Go to Lach’s website www.lachtoday.com to hear the jukebox filled with Lachtunes!
"The Calm Before is as far from what that title suggests as possible.Proffering a collage of ironic protest, subverted love and well-observed situational comedy songs, New York’s enigmatic institution loses none of his trademark wit on his fifth LP. Like 2004’s Today, electric guitars are eschewed in favour of acoustic ones, which collide with punk-ish sax, sweet harmonies and Lach’s Dylan-ish croak on catchy little numbers whose jauntiness belie their political bent. Anyone who wants to find out what anti-folk was up to before a bunch of young wannabes (Beck, Regina Spektor, Jeffrey Lewis, Moldy Peaches, to name a few) melted it down and made it into something new, should study this record carefully. Everyone else: batten down the hatches, sit back, relax and enjoy the storm. "- Exclaim Magazine
"Pick the more straight-up songs on this album (The Calm Before and you’ll be making comparisons to John Darnielle, Eef Barzelay or perhaps even the legendary Bob Dylan.
At other times the rock ‘n’ roll sax gives you the impression you might be listening to Bruce Springsteen, had he turned into a bar singer instead of a stadium rocker. Then on occasion he even veers close to the kind of ghost-town carnival atmosphere that I love so much. As I said, it never sounds anything other than completely familiar, this record, but for some reason I’d never call it predictable or samey.
It feels faintly cheeky making glib internet judgments on a man who is clearly a legend, so all I’ll do is say that I really reckon this album is worth a go. The pace is purposeful, the vocals plaintive, and the lyrics neat and evocative. Buy it."- CD Reviews, songbytoad.com
“A strange and brilliant musical mind” - Billboard
“**** Four Stars! Splendid, best of it’s kind!"-Mojo Magazine
“Lach is the mastermind of Antifolk, a loose concept involving acoustic guitars and punk-rock attitude, like a Lower East Side rendezvous of Bob Dylan and Patti Smith. Like black snow, stalled subway cars and random violence, Lach is a Manhattan institution.” - NY Times
“NYC’s living legend, riotously catchy!” - Timeout London
“Speed assaults and whimsy. Recommended!” - Uncut
“Genius”-Penthouse
“East Village staple Lach personifies the Antifolk scene with his jangly, funny, pop-punk songs. His current album, Today (Fortified), puts the strong songwriting in a raw rock context.” – Timeout NY
“Deftly blending bouncy, catchy melodies with wry, witty lyrics, this delightfully offbeat and enjoyable corker makes for a very intoxicating sonic brew. The enthusiastic singing, the irresistibly jubilant acoustic guitar riffs, the jumpin’ drums, the divinely chillin’ organ ripples, the sheer giddiness and vitality of the playing, the ceaselessly springy rhythms, and especially the total sense of joy and fun which permeates every last blithely harmonic note all add up to one of the most immensely charming and entertaining albums I’ve heard in quite a spell. A terrific album.” – Jersey Beat
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