Look To The Lady’s ‘Mechanical Lights’ EP – Review

Look To The Lady are another up and coming home-grown talent from Ireland’s own Co. Wicklow. They describe their sound as ‘alternative rock’ with lead singer Kelly Bolger’s vocals providing an alternative edge that complements the powerful rock instrumentals.

Their debut EP ‘Mechanical Lights’ is a whirlwind journey through sound that was released recently and is available on their bandcamp and Facebook.

The opening track ‘Red Light District’ makes a great first impression – opening with a rocking guitar riff that has a slight reminiscence of early Paramore before Bolger’s vocals come in the sound takes off. They move quickly from intro to full on sound that you want to play on full volume. The lyrics are sexy, the instrumental work has a unity and prowess and the vocals bring it to another level – a powerful tune that fades out in a cacophony of sound.

The second track, Hypocrites are in bloom has a much more old-school American style opening guitar riff and again when the vocals come in the song seems to swerve to another direction almost effortlessly. The vocals are a little more soulful, think Evanescence’s Amy Lee but with a more pared-back, down-to-earth sound. This song is a little slower and is the kind of track that would sound more powerful live but nonetheless a good follow up to the strong opener. It finishes with a great guitar solo.

The penultimate track is ‘Wishing off Airplanes’ which opens soft and melancholic – another development that demonstrates the bands range. The lyrics are sped up and points to make a nice contrast to the slower instrumental line. It develops at parts into a rockier sound but maintains an emotionally-charged indie vibe throughout. The drums really get to stand out a little in this track now that the guitars are pared back which is a good opportunity to showcase them but the star of the track is the vocals – especially the nice harmonising that finishes the song on an abrupt but beautiful note.

The final track, ‘Lose it All’ opens with a slightly eerie sound and vocals that are captivating. While it’s a little melancholy this track is nonetheless catchy. It steps away a little from the rock sound that permeates the previous tracks, with the exception of the chorus. There is a stunning soulfulness to the lyrics and it’s a great finish to the album.

For a band who are still working on their own sound, this EP couldn’t be a better start and they’re already making noises that indie-rock lovers are going to want to download. The four tracks leave you wishing it was a full length album and this group will be ones to watch when they hit the gig circuit.

Download the album here.

Review by Kat Clinch