|
Last November is
a diverse brew
of quirky yet
memorable pop
rock accompanied
by honest and
thought
provoking
lyrics. Their
ever growing
internet
presence,
coupled with
word-of-mouth
from devoted
fans, is pushing
this young
Atlanta band to
true heights.
Under the
guidance of
platinum-selling
producer Steven
Haigler (Brand
New, Fuel,
Oleander,
Pixies, As Tall
as Lions), Last
November’s new
album,
Over the Top
or Under the
Weather,
delivers on the
promise of the
group’s
impressive 2006
debut album,
All
the Gory Details,
which was
featured on “The
Real World” and
other MTV shows,
as well as
garnering
multi-formatted
airplay on over
200 radio
stations.
“When we were in
high school we
used to sit
around with
acoustic guitars
singing songs
from Brand
New’s,
Deja Entendu,”
remembers Last
November’s
vocalist,
guitarist and
songwriter Luke
Pilgrim.
“Working with
the man who
produced that
record was a
pretty surreal
experience for
us.”
Luke Pilgrim,
who began
performing when
he was 11, wrote
most of the
songs for the
first album
when he was
still 15, and
produced that
disc himself.
Now with a few
more years under
his belt, he
brings an added
maturity and
experience to
his writing. On
Over the Top
or Under the
Weather,
Steven Haigler’s
sparkling
production
concentrates the
band’s highly
melodic vocals
within edgy
guitar
inventions like
“The Bumper
Sticker Song,”
the album’s
first single
and video.
“ ‘The Bumper
Sticker Song’ is
really about
finding someone
who can love you
in spite of all
your flaws,
weird hang ups,
disorders, and
overall
neurotic,
obsessive
nature,” says
Pilgrim. “I
actually get
emails from
people asking if
I really have
A.D.D and O.C.D.
I usually just
tell them those
are only a
couple of my
many disorders.”
On the new CD,
rockers like the
wry “Jesus Had
Breakfast in
Bed” and “Butter
Me Up”, with its
Leslie-fied
touches,
demonstrate an
astounding
growth for Last
November, while
the superb
“Sunday
Afternoon”
creates a lush
landscape of
baroque pop that
is both
hauntingly
catchy and
intelligent.
Besides Luke
Pilgrim on lead
vocals and
guitar, the band
includes Tyler
Ayers on bass;
Chris Jones on
guitar,
keyboards and
vocals; and
Taylor Woodruff
on drums and
vocals.
Over the Top
or
Under the
Weather
is Last
November's
second release
on Southern
Tracks Records,
the independent
label founded by
legendary music
publisher Bill
Lowery. It was
recorded and
mixed at the
renowned
Southern Tracks
Studio in
Atlanta, home to
such artists as
Pearl Jam, Stone
Temple Pilots,
Train, The
Bravery, and
Bruce
Springsteen, and
mastered by
Rodney Mills.
|
