Review by Shannon Shumaker
Lieutenant’s If I Kill This Thing We’re All Going To Eat For A Week is a perfectly cheerful, catchy and laid-back debut album. This record marks the first time that Nate Mendel (Foo Fighters, Sunny Day Real Estate) has traded his bass for a guitar and the frontman position, and the result is not only surprising, but definitely fulfilling.
Right away (and throughout the entire album) Mendel’s vocals are not only soothing, but also warm and cheerful, meshing perfectly with the bass tones and simple but pretty guitar work. The sound on this album is soothing and easy to listen to, simple yet not too dumbed down. The second track, “The Place You Wanna Go,” is what sold this album for me – the catchy lyrics and happy tone of the song makes it feel like spring time and makes you want to bob your head along with it. Following “The Place You Wanna Go,” is the slower and more easygoing track, “Believe The Squalor.” While the song still has the cheerful vibe that the first two tracks on the album have, it’s definitely more laid back. The following song, “Rattled,” however, is one of the darker songs on the record. However, in the song’s chorus, it has that same cheerful and catchy sound as the rest of the album.
While If I Kill This Thing We’re All Going To Eat For A Week has its strong points, it also has its weak ones. The album itself is really easy to listen to, but that also makes some songs flow together almost too well, making them fade into the background because they stay on that same laid-back level throughout the whole album. There aren’t many huge moments in this album, rather smaller ones littered throughout each song.
Lieutenant is absolutely a step away from Mendel’s day job with Foo Fighters and falls closer to Sunny Day Real Estate, though, and in that aspect, it shines. If you’re looking for something different to listen to, this album strikes gold. There definitely are some stronger stand-out songs, as well, such as “Sink Sand.” Easily one of the most versatile songs on the album from its explosive beginning and mellow acoustics, “Sink Sand” wakes you up and reminds you just how talented Mendel really is. “Sink Sand” is one of the strongest songs on If I Kill This Thing We’re All Going To Eat For A Week because of the strong guitar work and gorgeous vocal harmonies.
As a whole, If I Kill This Thing We’re All Going To Eat For A Week is an incredibly strong debut for Lieutenant, with shining moments of musical brilliance in certain tracks. While there are some songs that seem to fade into the background, the overall sound on the album is warm, cheerful and most of all, strong.
Rating: 3/5
Listen to “Sink Sand”