Lubec Nothing Is Enough!

Nothing Is Enough! is the debut EP by Lubec, a lo-fi shoegazing pop band from Richmond, Virginia, who are signed to the Acme Thunderer label. Lubec consists of singer Eddie Charlton, drummer Brandon Martin, bassist Chris Compton and guitarist James Wingo. The band uses the phrase “Sculpt-Rock” to describe their music, this is in reference to the unconventionally EQ’d distortion and reverbs which are to the fore in their roomy pop-rock sound.

The lack of production gloss is an interesting antidote to the music of other bands which is sometimes produced to within an inch of its life. Their sound is messy in parts, but the scuzzy production is likely to appeal to those who like their bands to sound rough and ready and fashionably crumpled. A sense of dreaminess drifts through the hisses, fuzzes and echoes which result from the reverbs that they favour so much. These unconventional EQ settings start to wear thin as the EP progresses, but there are sufficient hooks to maintain interest over these six songs.

Lubec recorded Nothing Is Enough! on a tobacco farm, and the record showcases the band’s penchant for layered, melodic guitar pop. The prominence of distorted guitars, and the opening track You’ll Know Then, suggests a kinship with the music of Jesus & Mary Chain, and the influence of 1960’s bands like the Byrds can also be heard. Lead single Cherry Adair muses on a failed fling with a romantic novelist which resulted in creative rivalry, but future single Your Magic Wand is the EP’s catchiest track and is blessed with a melancholy pop punch which recalls The Smiths.

While not an essential purchase, the thrashing guitars and pounding drums on Nothing Is Enough! gives listeners an impression of the band’s live energy and an introduction to the sound that they plan to present on their debut album which is scheduled for late spring 2011. You can catch Lubec on tour in the US during February and March.