Lies And Legends. I Am A Rocketship

Let's start with the cover of Lies And Legends, I Am A Rocketship's new album. It's just an everyday kind of scene. Something like a busstop in the mist, old fashioned looking streetlights burning to stave off the darkness. Somehow I can't help thinking that it's not the bus coming out of the fog but a scene from the original 'Twin Peaks' or even some kind of monster from outer space. Funny how a very normal looking picture can twist the mind into all sorts of fantasies.

Since 2020 I Am A Rocketship has featured on this blog with singles, an LP, 'Ghost Stories' and an EP, 'Orange'. The duo from Atlanta has released a full-length album recently on which it does not hold back on its intentions. This must be to rock hard as a song allows and mix it with the innocent voice of L.E. Kippner. Together with Erik Weissinger she is I Am A Rocketship. One of the many alternative rocking duos to have come by (on this blog) in recent years.

Listening to Lies And Legends the album comes closest to Cottbus in Germany's duo Para Lia. Where René Methner lets his guitars rip it up louder, I Am A Rocketship deepens the atmosphere some more with empty spaces and atmospherics from synths. This makes Lies And Legends partly a darkish album, even a little gothic. It is not hard to imagine the cover of 'Taxman' turning up in a new 'Batman' movie or something like it.

Promo photo: Katja Bjorn

This makes the album just a little harder to embrace than I would have thought from listening to the opening song, 'Fever Dream', as this rocks fairly straightforward. Do not be surprised when you find a mix of the very early Pink Floyd, 80s wave, Marillion, Fish era, melodies and dance like rhythms come together in 'Set The Controls To Forever'. This is not an easy going song. Not melodically, not dance-wise and yet it intrigues for a few reasons as I pointed to already in trying to describe all the influences I take out of listening to it. There's simply a lot going on and it's all interesting.

If this album is anything, it is cool. Even under-cooled like a swimmer too long in cold water. Listening to it with a warm blanket close by is recommended. Have that and there's a lot to enjoy. Lies And Legends is a firm statement by the duo that is extremely productive in these Covid days.

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