Independent (label)
16 June 2017 (released)
25 October 2017
Upon first look, Lunar Lander Dance Commander is a classic good time dance rock unit. As you would glean from the cover of their debut album, Liquid Smooth, the band is part surf, part alien, all party. Taking great influence from The B52's, LLDC features yelping vocals, wildly meandering guitar licks, and snappy surf beats. However, there's a strain of reflective Americana or rather Canadiana woven in by these kooky Saskatchewanians that occasionally brings this space disco back to earth.
The opener 'Creeper' has their nutty pastiche on full display. Singer, Stephanie Wilkinson outlines the trials of constant leers and catcalls with feisty frustration but also a coquettish charm. The band plays loopy and punky with quirky lead lines and classic surf rock sound effects. The lead single, 'We Won't Go' drops much of the B52's style idiosyncrasies in favour of more straightforward dance rock. Taking after fellow Canadians Arcade Fire and Metric, LLDC keeps it simple, locking in step to catchy, driving guitars and that steadfast beat that pervaded the upbeat indie rock wave of the 2000s.
'Free' is a hard pivot in the short EP putting a homespun fiddle front and centre, a stark contrast to the extraterrestrial aura cultivated throughout the rest of the album. Wilkinson's vocals take on a new level of sincerity and an inspirational quality surrounded by delicate cymbal flourishes. The song swells and overflows into grand choruses. For a moment, you completely forget what kind of album you've been listening to.
'Open Your Eye' quickly reminds you that you're not in Kansas anymore. Wilkinson trades off Toni Basil style yelps with her male counterpart. Buzzing synths and hyped six strings are carried along by high octane drums. LLDC urge you to tap into the beyond, opening up that third eye. 'Rooftop Renegade' returns to the steady indie dance-rock of 'We Won't Go'. The track is like lighting a flare to signal to the aliens that you're ready to be picked up.
In the end, it's hard to decide whether the album is endearingly eclectic or if the band just hasn't nailed down their sound yet. The wackier space rock jams can live comfortably next door to the indie dance flair but it feels like 'Free' is an anomaly in the short EP. Sometimes that kind of drastic dichotomy works and sometimes it doesn't. I guess that's for you to decide. These guys would still make you dance your socks off live.
