Photo by Peter Woodford
I remember seeing Lantern years ago in a basement in Pilsen, Chicago and how the Philly trio of Emily Robb, Zachary Fairbrother, and Christian Simmons stuck out on a noisy house show bill. Even as they attempted to wash it out, Lantern's deliberate groove put a lo-fi spin on late 60s fringe rock. Their first album came out on cassette and felt like a verbed-out redux of The Madcap Laughs, a disorientingly nostalgic sound perfect for a debut on veteran DIY label Night People.
However, this latest and second LP, Black Highways and Green Garden Roads, suggests that Lantern's wiped off the dust in favor of cleaner, more straightforward interpretations. While the songs themselves are more complex and inch away from 13th Floor Elevators towards something a bit more prog, the album retains the vintage charm of that first release with garage pop harmonies between the two vocalists, especially on stand-out tracks like "Dont Worry Baby (It Won't Be Long)" and "On My Side." Emily Robb and Zachary Fairbrother make a great songwriting pair as they switch off between their respective takes on late 60s classics.
Black Highways and Green Garden Roads is available on February 19 as a limited-edition cassette on Fixture Records and on 12-inch vinyl through Sophomore Lounge.