Review: Lorquin’s Admiral ‘Lorquin’s Admiral’
Speaking to Nick Hannon, one half of the creative drive behind Kent’s acclaimed, (mostly) instrumental post-rock maestros Sons Of Alpha Centauri at Desertfest London this year, he admitted that Sons were ‘kind of a chameleon band’. This is true of the birth of the desert rock/Transatlantic collaboration Yawning Sons, which came to life when, instead of guitar supremo Gary Arce producing the Sons second album, they birthed the magnificent Ceremonies To The Sunset album back in 2009.
The follow-up to this lightning-in-a-bottle moment came in 2021 with the phenomenal Sky Island, which saw the rotating collaborators expand to include Hermano main man Dandy Brown.
Fast forward to now and the seeds that were sown between Brown and the Sons (rounded out by the talented Marlon King on guitar) has taken on a new life in the heavy, guitar driven psychedelia of Lorquin’s Admiral, who in addition to Brown and the Sons boasts current and former members of The Afghan Whigs, The Fizz Fuzz, Hermano, Luna Sol, Orquesta del Desiertoand, as well as Dandy’s wife Dawn.
This continued collaboration plucks from the wide-ranging influences of all the members outfits. Here, that retro flavoured psychedelia collides with heavy blues, whimsical experimentation, and a knowing pop-like sheen that balances the deep Sabbath-like grooves of the stoner scene with the lavish, but accessible, soulful contagion of acts like The Cranberries or even Garbage to push the boundaries of the genre in a unique and special record.
My Blue Wife starts the album with a typically grinding guitar, but quickly breaks into a fizzing, fuzzy, danceable refrain full of that rich blues heritage as David Angstrom and King trade razor sharp riffs over Hannon’s pulsing rumble. Dandy Brown on vocals brings his silky croon, full of positivity and up-tempo energy as he pours sweet nothings into your ears. The dynamic stop/start chugging has a catchy balance and a typically mesmerisingly hypnotic solo that makes the album sound fresh from the get-go.
The heavy tones of Inexplicable Things lean into the psych experimentation. Heady and low, Dawn Brown trades places on the lead vocals, sultry and captivating over the throb of the bass. This track, possibly more than others, calls back to their desert rock roots with the lolloping bounce of Hermano or John Garcia’s solo material. The low, driving passages layer the characteristics of the core of Sons ability to morph with the style of the Californian Desert to produce a sumptuous concoction of power and wide-eyed exploration of some vast, open landscape.
Slower and more experimental is the heavy ballad-like Could Have Been Forever. Featuring a meandering, but majestic solo, the track pings with bright lead notes as the husband and wife duet combine in layered harmonies that elevate the droning walls of riffing towards a soaring, hopeful refrain as the twin guitars wind and overlap the rhythm section. This track highlights the chemistry that Hannon and Earle harnessed; both players sit underneath the flashier moments with understated, powerful precision that retains an organic feel.
retro flavoured psychedelia collides with heavy blues, whimsical experimentation, and a knowing pop-like sheen…
Black Water feels like an old jazz/blues standard with its ‘oooooo’ melody over a loose, marching swing as Dandy with Dawn on the sugary sweet chorus seems to glide gloriously over the rolling tempo. When the band opens up, it feels as if everyone shines, from the flourishing fills of Earle to the dizzying fretboard fireworks and vocal interplay. It’s like they’ve just stepped on stage and, through some sort of telepathy, instantly clicked into a sound and a feeling that’s as natural to them as air.
It is at this point that I should stop to remind everyone that this is their debut. The chemistry that Lorquin’s Admiral displays on this eponymous album was produced by artists on either side of the Atlantic, not after years of honing this in a dusty rehearsal space and is a credit to all involved.
My Blue Husband, understandably, sees Dawn take the lead again with a harder rush of energy. As the guitars flash like warning alarms and Earle thunders behind the kit, the vocals have the danger of Shirley Manson in the snarls as the band channels a punkier, harder edge that has always cast a shadow over the desert rock scene. Lorquin’s Admiralshow that for all the hooks and glitter they can sprinkle on their songs, they are also not afraid to throw hands and get down and dirty with the best of them.
The lone drum introduction of Aren’t We gets the band back into that chugging classic rock influence. With a hazy, almost Queens Of The Stone Age commercial edge to the catchy, danceable beat, they create a light, swirling melody that rises over the moodier plod of the low end. A dream-like sequence that filters aspects of muscular rock with a delicate touch.
Burn And Heal is my favourite track. The dark vibes and Dawn’s smouldering vocals, layered over grumbling basslines and a grime-tinged guitar, are truly hypnotic. The song cuts through the noise with laser focus, and the pleading notes of the chorus make it the best I’ve heard all year.
The final pairing of These Lovely Things and To Temptation has the signature desert rock sound. The former sees Dandy holding the melodies in the palm of his hand as the music seems to bend to his whimsical and changing delivery, marching and commanding. The latter signs off with a swagger. The classic rock vibe returns, recalling Ian Astbury’s Holy Barbarians album, and the band finish with a shining melody as Dandy proclaims his love.
Lorquin’s Admiral continues a run of special collaborations from these artists as they seek to bring something new to the scene. In my opinion, this is a low-key shoe-in for album of the year, given the levels of sonic depth they achieve as well as the unashamed catchy joy it contains.
Label: Argonauta Records
Band Links: Bandcamp | Spotify
Scribed by: Mark Hunt-Bryden
