The new solo record from Dion Lunadon sounds little like the band he's recently departed. Nowhere are there any of the proto-grunge, psuedo-shoegaze ruminations of A Place To Bury Strangers. On Beyond Everything, Dion favors a lean, peppy take on garage rock, with nary a riff wasted.
"By My Side" roars like early solo Iggy, while "It's My Truth" mines a similar vibe. Lunadon is suited to this style, with his delivery impassioned, if not commanding. A composition like "Elastic Diagnostic" seems to owe a huge debt to any number of Ian Svenonius projects, but there's an unease here that feels a bit unique. Elsewhere, the wonderfully-titled "Nothing But My Skull" punches hard in the right way, while the Generation X-ish "Living and Dying With You" works up a fevered mood around a clutch of excellent, sharp riffs and hooks.
There's lots on Beyond Everything that seems like other bands, sure, but the record is tight and economical and that counts for a helluva lot with me. Dion Lunadon isn't as ambitious as his old band, but that's a good thing, because he's turned in a fiery little record here in this modern garage rock rocker.
Beyond Everything is out now via In The Red Records.
[Photo: Ebru Yildiz]