Lungfish Albums (9)
What The Critics Say
If Lungfish is guilty of anything, according to critics, it is sounding like themselves over and over. While this is kinda true to a certain extent, it must be understood that the band is probably aware of this too, and, if anything, many would consider this to be one of the band's strengths. Love Is Love while still fitting the formula of past releases, does manage to inject a bit of new life here. Powerful yet subtle, Love Is Love exposes new ideas over repeated listens and re-energizes an already electric band. ~ Chris True, All Music Guide
What The Critics Say
It's understandable that Lungfish might sound a little tired after 13 years of punk innovation. Whether or not the slow-motion stance of this, the group's eighth release, is interesting is another question entirely. This query can be answered with a resounding "maybe." Of course, interest generally depends on the individual, but there are a few empirical observations about this album that aren't easily disputable. For starters, the tempo and temperament of Necrophones is subdued. This mellowing sharpens the focus on Daniel Higgs' obtuse lyrical patterns, which are as broad and codified as ever. Some find mystical balance in Higgs' non-linear, almost random poetry, while others howl about a perceived nonsensical verbosity. This interpretive envelope is what Necrophones seems designed to push, as Lungfish has finally graduated from the school of post-punk sonic deconstruction. Nothing was left to conquer but the language of discontent itself and, as the objectives have become more subtle, the verdict has become more subjective as well. Listeners simply have to trust that Higgs and his band aren't trying to fool anybody. This kind of trust doesn't come easy in the rock underground. Fans will appreciate Necrophones; purists and cynics won't. ~ Vincent Jeffries, All Music Guide
What The Critics Say
After a mellow period of post-rock, Lungfish reintroduced elements of dissonance and vocal fire, reviving the group's punk energy for 1999's The Unanimous Hour. Some of the band's most dynamic songs grace this nicely developed recording. Two career highlight tracks are especially notable: "Space Orgy" gyrates within its own entirely unique and angular orbit, while the more familiar drone of "God's Will" -- as eloquent as it is simple -- sets up Daniel Higgs' most decipherable mantras. There is an unfortunate lapse as The Unanimous Hour finishes off with some solid but predictable Mogwai-esque instrumentalism ("Sands of Time," "Return to the Caves") and a heavy-handed, bizarre vocal experiment ("Metatron.") These songs might not qualify as filler, but they fail to match up with the superior earlier material. This minor letdown in no way diminishes the accomplishments of The Unanimous Hour, perhaps the most impressive Lungfish effort. ~ Vincent Jeffries, All Music Guide
What The Critics Say
Lungfish presents another chapter in the thinking man's modern rock. On this album, Lungfish continues a pattern of isolating crypto-philosophical songs with minimalist free-rock instrumentals. The resultant mood is somber and cathartic, focused and pointed, intellectual and freeing. Lungfish suggests simplicity as a gateway to melody, and poetry as a vehicle for intelligent observation. Single-mindedly, Lungfish combats obsession ("If love is all you hope to find/Love will ruin your mind") and chaotically they call for greater control ("Bridges crossing, bridges crossing land/Subterranean rivers seeping through the sand: Oppress yourself") over a deconstructed and unornamented rock groove. ~ Tom Schulte, All Music Guide
What The Critics Say
Eleven tracks are present on Indivisible, and five of them are instrumentals. In artwork and mood, this is very much Lungfish's "black" album. An emotional release is frozen in the active grieving anger that is Indivisible. Sonic Youth-like, distorted but trebly guitar sounds united with a rock-and-brooding rhythm section. Lungfish's art-rock catharsis is marked by dissonance or simplicity for a melody and sparseness or heavy hurtling from drums and warm bass. The male vocals are voiced from the head and mix to sound far away for the feel of eavesdropping on a poor soul working out a personal therapy inside a tenement window. Finely conceived for its prevailing atmosphere, Indivisible is a true album for its even texture and direction. ~ Tom Schulte, All Music Guide
What The Critics Say
Why mess with a good thing? Sound in Time is another spare but striking release from Lungfish. While it falls in the same vein as the rest of the band's ever-growing catalog, the minimalist sound and probing lyrics are how Lungfish helped pioneer the post-hardcore movement. Riff after riff, beat after beat, the rock-solid foundation is laid for Daniel Higgs' mysterious, emotive lyrics. Somehow, Sound in Time is profound and accessible all at once, something very few albums ever accomplish, but something Lungfish accomplishes time and time again. ~ Ron DePasquale, All Music Guide
What The Critics Say
It took several recordings, but Lungfish finally establish musical equilibrium on their third Discord release, Pass & Stow. For the first time, the vocal work of Daniel Higgs doesn't dominate the band's mix. Asa Osborne's guitars finally get the sonic boost necessary to compete, and this 1992 offering makes great strides because of it. There are plenty of repetitive dirges and abstract lyrics, but Pass & Stow retains the hardcore energy that defines Lungfish's early, less-experimental work. There is some post-rock foreshadowing of the group's Indivisible transition, but the buzz-saw guitar sounds are staunchly metallic and traditional by extension. The Eastern drones of "Astronaut & Prayer" are a nice touch up that's reflected many times in the Lungfish discography without novelty or excessiveness. Other highlights include the epic "Computer" and the restrained spookiness of "In Praise of Amoral Phenomena." With its many artistic and sonic developments, Pass & Stow signifies the creative emergence of Lungfish, one of America's most interesting '90s art/punk practitioners. ~ Vincent Jeffries, All Music Guide
'Rainbows from Atoms'
Release Date 6/28/1993
Tracks 11
Label Dischord
See Album Tracklist and Review
