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Len's Lounge describes their music as "Laconic Midwestern Country Folk Rock." The dictionary definition of laconic is saying a lot with few words, succinct or concise. Although not addressed in the dictionary, for me the word implies a restrained and deliberate verbal style. Both descriptions apply to Jeff Roberson's vocals and lyrics, the dictionary definition especially pertinent on the murder tale "I Guess You Lay." These lyrics paint a vivid picture of the crime scene with a miserly use of words. I guess you lay A dull kitchen knife, So close, so far away, it seems As the title promises, you'll find a few train songs. One of the two covers on Road Dogs and More Train Songs is Jimmie Rodgers' "Waiting for a Train" (the other is Guy Clark's "Dublin Blues"). While you might assume "Illinois Central" is a train song, it's really reminiscences about an aging lady, the significance of the title not apparent until the final stanza. And when she is gone And on a farm, north of Palestine "This Train" is a train song of sorts, although the lyrics make it clear that this is a metaphorical train. "This train doesn't have any engine / This train doesn't run on any track / This train has seen one too many detours / For me to ride this train again". What it's a metaphor for is up to you. It could be a relationship, family, or work group; pretty much anything involving two or more people. One day I thought I'd be the engineer As the initial description indicates, Len's Lounge combines country, folk, and rock. With some acts this would mean that one song is mostly a country song, the next folk, and another rock. That isn't the case here. Most songs contain significant portions of all three. Normally the lyrics and vocals have a country-folk feel with the music reflecting the rock aspects, but sometimes the music twangs and the vocals may take on a harder rock edge. "Thundering, Rain" rocks the hardest of any tune with the guitar work reflecting a southern rock influence. But drawling vocals and what sounds like steel guitar in the back of the mix still lend a touch of country. Thundering, rain What remains true An understated, yet ominous tone pervades "So Still." Both the vocals and music are calm on the surface, but reflect an underlying tension befitting the words. As with most of the tunes, Roberson leaves room for flexibility in interpretation. This one could apply to a variety of situations. What's clear is the song's subject is on the verge of losing it. You can go he said How much time With final track, "My Dixie Ray," Roberson hits his peak of minimalist, meaningful lyrics. This is the complete song, short and to the point. My Dixie Ray And in my heart of hearts Len's Lounge probably doesn't sound like anything you've heard before. Any of the elements (vocals, music, and lyrics) may remind you of someone else, but not put together quite this way. I especially like Roberson's use of metaphor and leaving enough unsaid to easily allow relating the lyrics to your personal situation. *Visit www.northern-aggression.com
for ordering information. For more about Len's Lounge and a chance
to listen to some song samples, visit www.lenslounge.com
where you can also read more about the group. If you wonder where
the band name comes from, try the history link. |
Cincinnati band Len's
Lounge was formed in 1993 by singer-songwriter Jeff Roberson
and John Curley, bassist for critically acclaimed indie-rock
band Afghan Whigs. In their nine-year history, the only constant
has been Roberson as a long line of Cincinnati musicians cycled
through the band. Road Dog and More Train Songs is a reissue
of their second full-length disc, originally a do-it-yourself
release with limited availability. Minor changes in song selection
and sequencing were made from the 2000 original for this new
version.
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