LEMMUS LEMMUS

Lemmus Lemmus is a psychedelic space rock band coming from Israel with 2 albums under their wings so far. The second offer self titled issued in 2008 is considered being better then the debut, both songwriting and skills of the musicians improving a lot. Well, first thing is that is impossible not to see this album on the shelvs when want to buy it , it has a bright colored art work with typical psychedelic/space theme that are right in the eye. But what about the music, well not so in the ear I might say, psychedelic space prog with varied keyboards and with some folk tinged passages, not bad at all, but far from great to me. The music is reminescent with let's say Pink Floyd - Syd Barett era. Besides main line- up there are 9 guest musicians using diffrent instruments like flute, sitar , tabla who gives a very psychedelic feel. All pieces are ok but nothing is groundbreaking here, but most of the time enjoyble. Maybe the unenjoyble thing here is that the overall sound is little to lazy and mellow like on My Stars, My Moons, My Love, a piece that I don't considered quite great, but a tune like Your Dream Revisited is pretty much more then ok with mellotron working "in good condition". All in all if anyone intresting into this type of music, must considered this band from Israel a quite worthy listning, if not then forget about this band. I'm somehwere in between so will be 3 stars only.

For some strange reason i'm just not connecting with this one. I normally love this kind of Psychedelic music. Lots of mellotron and Hammond as well as some sitar.

"Happen" opens with faint sounds as organ then mellotron come in. Vocals before 2 minutes with drums and guitar. It becomes very Psychedelic sounding. It ends as it began. "Chasing A Ghost" features acoustic guitar and some sitar along with vocals. "Feathers On Your Body" is pastoral with acoustic guitar and some sitar.The organ joins in. Vocals before 2 1/2 minutes. Piano after 5 1/2 minutes. Acoustic guitar and vocals follow. "Tame Of The Shrew" opens with this humerous advertisment. The whole song is Zappa-like lyrically but musically more Psych / Pop like LONDON UNDERGROUND.

"The Angels We Thought We Should Be" opens with reserved vocals and acoustic guitar. Organ and female vocals follow. Contrasts continue. "Smiling back" opens with acoustic guitar. Sleepy vocals come in. Can't help but think of SPACEMEN 3 when I hear this song. Organ 2 1/2 minutes in. "Me Chewing On Your Sonar Heart" is a catchy Psychedelic tune with vocals. Some female backing vocals on the chorus. "My Stars,My Moons, My Love" has some sitar, tabla and lazy vocals. "Your Dream Revisited" opens with so much mellotron that it's spacey. Some samples and organ as well. "Violet & Blue" opens with acoustic guitar followed by flute and drums. Processed female vocals come in as it settles. Male vocals replace the female as contrasts continue.

No doubt a good album that still hasn't clicked with me yet.

The album design expresses more than thousand words can ever do. What you see is what you get ... colorful and charming songs deeply plunging into psychedelic. Composed and recorded during a period of two years 'Lemmus Lemmus' is the follower of their critically acclaimed debut album. Consisting of dreamy, floating songs this is sometimes reminiscent to Pink Floyd's early output - unique though in it's entirety. The songs are enriched with native respectively eastern elements. Loops, scary effects, Mellotron as well as echoing vocals and guitars deliver some hallucinatory moments.

'Spread your wings and leave the ground' - getting behind the spheric intro Happen appears rather spacey provided with multiple acoustic and electric guitars fluttering around. What a tricky song, later showing eerie vocals and mysterious organ contributions. A promising kick-off by all means! The short Chasing A Ghost and later Feathers On Your Body continue more folk tinged with nice oriental flavour provoked by percussion ... and sitar first of all. Initiated by a sample the Beatles adapted Tame Of The Shrew might be considered as controversial. An excursion to the popular border? Superficially yes - anyhow - please check Noam Rapaport's varied keyboard work here - piano, organ, harpsichord - and every doubt takes a backseat after a while.

Following the mellow folksy acoustic guitar dominated traces for some time My Stars, My Moon, My Love now stimulates for the more weird hallucinatory album part. Supported by tabla and sitar this song sounds like George Harrison is on a mind-expanding psychedelic trip through India. Mysterious soundscapes and voices, croaking frogs, mechanical percussion - the follower Your Dream Revisited appears totally spaced out though - as if recorded under drug influence. Violet & Blue finally hijacks you to enter dreamy landscapes once again with lovely vocals, flute and Mellotron.

Really worth considering! A nice surprise for me to realize that this band is hailing from Israel. Catchy and way-out impressions are blended in a comfortable manner. A rounded work full of charming melodies, wonderful guitars and vintage keyboard work, excellent male/female vocals. This moves them up to an insiders' tip! Passion for detail - I recommend to listen more than once or twice in order to discover the real beauty - 4.5 stars.