LOOK LEFT – Waiting
aaamusic | On 09, Jul 2013
Look Left was formed in 2009 shortly after Jared Clark (singer/Acoustic guitarist) went to college and found an outlet in songwriting for things he wanted to get off of his chest. That year, he met Derek Wilber (Bassist), Andrew Cotts (Electic Guitarist), and Matt Royek (Percussionist) and the four of them locked themselves in a dorm room and jammed together.
A mixed bag is a perfect description for their fifth attempt at an album, Waiting. I would think it would be a struggle to find many rock albums these days with organ introductions and two brass preludes alongside a rap about pots and pans. The album truly has something for everyone, from a jazz piano introduction in ‘Help Me On My Way’ to a more ‘traditional’ rock sound in ‘Steel Machines’
These contrasting quirks held my attention till the end, wanting to see what the next track brought. They seem to have taken inspiration from everywhere, with hints of Panic at the Disco in ‘Charity Auction Ninja’ and touches of Creed weaving through ‘Finding’.
At times Jared Clark’s lead vocals tend to sound a little forced, like Jack Black and Tennacious D. However, this can be forgiven, as while the album struggles against being pinned to one genre, the lead vocals become something to hold onto for the comforts of consistency.
The beginning of each song cannot be trusted to sound like the end. Though I began to expect this as each track started, I constantly found myself surprised at where I ended up.
Look Left say that their album has more pain, laughter, introspection, and light than they thought they could ever pour out, and it is obvious by listening to Waiting beginning to end. By the time you reach the final track ‘At Long Last’, there is a feeling that you have just been on a journey through Jared Clark’s life experiences. The two monologues slotted in between tracks made me feel almost embarrassed as though I had stumbled upon Clark’s own voice memos and was listening to his audio diary.
Rachael Pilkington
