LiponaThis is the debut full-length for this Tallahassee, Florida quartet. Considering this band only had an EP under its belt prior to this record, I am quite impressed. The band offers up a seamless blend of multiple genres that doesn't necessarily make the music sound original, however, the tunes are far from tired or redundant sounding. Lipona injects these songs with pure punk aggression reminiscent of 1990's Epitaph or Fat Wreck Chords bands like Bad Religion or Strung Out. The base of this band's formula though is etched deep in post-hardcore. The songs are crafted with a sensual emotion that brings to mind a band like Far. Add into this mix the melodies and occasional screaming of current post-hardcore bands (some may call them screamo, but I won't), like Finch or A Wilhelm Scream and you pretty much have this band's sound.
And similar to most post-hardcore bands…Lipona's songs don't jump out at you. As melodic as these tracks are, they don't plant themselves anywhere in your subconscious. These songs take countless, repetitive listens to truly appreciate them. That's not necessarily a bad thing though unless you're suffering severely from Attention Deficit Disorder. Then again most people these days claim to suffer from ADD as an excuse to fail at any tasks such as school or work. So come to think of it, this may hurt Lipona's chance at gaining new fans. But with these wonderfully crafted songs, I don't see this band not being around for a while. They may not end up being the biggest band around, but they'll certainly remain relevant if they keep this up.
Rating: 4/5
Songs Worthy of Replay: "Ron Mexico", "Success Stories" & "Only Silence"
Synopsis: A good band that can pen a tune and doesn't seem to have any cheap gimmicks or shtick. Their style swims in three pools of well-tested sub-genres of punk, but they don't just mimic these formulas, they retell their own versions of them. Seek this band out!