By Emma Cohen of Indie Band Guru
Boston rockers The Life Electric released their second full-length album, The Real You, on March 25 to a very exited audience.
The Life Electric grew from a 2011 meeting between two of the five members, and has been sky rocketing in terms of popularity and talent. The Real You consists of 11 new tracks that all share a similar 1980s-meets-current indie sound, which the band is known for. This was my first time listening to the group and it is safe to say that it was love at first sound wave.
The Life Electric Blends ’80s Influence with the Modern
Out of 11 songs, my favorite is “The Real You,” because it is undeniably happy and upbeat. Moreover, I felt that Joey Chehade, The Life Electric’s vocalist, sounded very similar to classic David Bowie while singing. The vocals connected the song to the ’80s even more then the light keyboarding throughout did. That being said, the fast tempo piano playing during the chorus contrasted with the more drawn out guitar playing of the verses to make a beautiful sound. It’s like they took the best of AHA’s “Take on Me” and anything Weezer. The result is, unsurprisingly, fantastic.
On the other end of the emotional spectrum, The Life Electric also managed to master the song “Ladders.” If you could imagine a jazz vocalist singing a beach-like melody then you can imagine how unexpected but enticing this song is. Not only that, but the subtle romance of the song only sucked me in more as I fell in love with the deep baritone vocals and soft bass playing in the backdrop. There was something very relaxing about listening to this song. It’s a great track to appreciate the versatility of the group as a whole.
Each of the songs on The Real You has its own sound, emotion, and sense of empathy. The Life Electric has, quite honestly, put together an electric album, and I am a huge fan. There is not one track which I disliked or have a complaint about. My only issue is that there are only 11 of them.
