Living Things - Turn In Your Friends And Neighbors

Billy Idol you better check up on some things. I know rockers get around, but I would check to see if you slipped one by the goalie with some girl. Frankly this lead singer has to be your son. Now, I have never met or seen Lillian Berlin perform, but I can’t help but think he must bust out the Elvis lip sneer and a clinched fist you are famous for. Why? Well, because he sounds like the second coming! From the opening of the first track, “Bombs Below” you can’t help but hear it in every word. Even the chorus screams “Billy!” as the band chants “Go! Go! Go!” and you almost instinctively keep going right into “Sweat! Sweat! Sweat!” All 80’s rock comparisons aside, Living Things debut EP Turn In Your Friends & Neighbors comes out with some expectations. When Steve Albini produces your EP, people are going to listen. Albini, famous for his work with groups such as Nirvana, Nine Inch Nails, and The Pixies, gives instant “cred” to any band looking to make it. But “cred” will only get you so far. All four songs that fill this EP are up-tempo rockers with a bit of a message. From the bands bio and the EP's liner notes it is obvious the band is taking a bit of a political or intelligent approach to their music. The bands biograhy rattles off a slew of indie-fied literature the lead singer has read and even the background of the band photo is the Declaration Of Independence. Opening track “Bombs Below” spits the protesting lyrics of “we’re gonna win the war, that’s what the kids are for” and they don’t turn back from there. Mostly in-your-face guitar-rock, Living Things is a picture perfect view of what you would imagine a New York, punk-rock-with-smarts band to be like, except they are from the midwest. Catchy riffs and rock attitude make them fun to listen to, but not a band to fall in love with. Overall a nice start to a career that shows some promise, but in the end it is just that… a start. [www.livingthingsmusic.com]