Rob’s Album Of The Week: Lespecial’s Ancient Homies

Hailing from both the New England metropolis of Boston and the New York village of Millerton, Lespecial aren’t the kind of band that puts themselves in a box. While most bands abide by a certain style and expand off of it, the multi-instrumentalist trio of Luke Bemand, Johnny Grusauskas and Rory Dolan obliterate that notion. They take elements of rock, electronica, funk and other kinds of music and meld them into a sonic cavalcade of inventiveness. It’s a type experimenting that gets taken to a whole new level, discovering new artistic heights and providing a compelling listening experience. Their third full-length album, Ancient Homies, that’s due out on December 4 via Ropeadope Records is their most ambitious release yet while aiming to capture the energy of their live performances.

There are instances when the guitar riffs have a major presence and there are other times where the synths, beats and samples encompass an entire song. A distinct variety of sounds is apparent, which is both refreshing and exciting for the senses. I always love it when there’s a unique amount of cohesiveness yet there isn’t one track that sounds like the other. It’s a difficult thing to accomplish but when it’s achieved it can be awesome. Lespecial’s new album is more like a journey than just a record, once you’re plugged in you’re taken to a lot of different places.