Like closing your eyes and pretending Lake Texoma is Venice Beach, A Lungful brings the ocean to Oklahoma with pseudo-surf bass grooves mashed together with wild, prairie-bred guitar hooks.
Opener “The Weak” is the cleanest weld; at its strongest points, the punchy anthem would have felt right at home on Incubus’ Morning View. The guitar work is impeccable, and singer Joel Parks recalls KoL front man Caleb Followill on certain notes and drawls.
Sandwiched in the middle is “Box o’ Wine” and “Here to Stay.” Taking on a more ’90s alt-rock flair, the former brings Sublime soul and Ben Folds sassiness to the drawing board, while the latter plays like a groovier, more grounded Mars Volta track drunk off a six-pack of Corona.
“In the Morning” starts as a none-too-subtle ode to “Soul to Squeeze” and “Under the Bridge” before unveiling its own character with a delightfully chopped-up bridge.
A Lungful is brave in its ambitions, brimming with promise and certainly a breath of fresh air. Celebrate its release at 8 p.m. Friday at The Parish, 1757 N.W. 16th, with guest Indian Giver and an art show. For more information, visit ripplegreenmusic.com. —Joshua Boydston
