Lunchtime – Feedback (Submitted Review)

Lunchtime – Feedback
Released:   August 13, 2017

Lunchtime Line up:

Constance Grafos | Vocals & Guitar
Eden Grafos | Vocals, Keyboards & Bass
Lachlan Quinn | Guitar
John Paul Mills | Drums

Lunchtime online:

Facebook
Bandcamp

Lunchtime’s bio on their Facebook page cite their influences as the likes of Nirvana, Green Day, Paramore and Oasis.

But listening to their latest EP Feedback, the four-piece from Brisbane could have easily taken a few cues from the likes of Mudhoney and 7 Year Bitch in the early 90’s. Recorded at Underground Audio, Feedback has such a raw indie sound you could easily confuse the band of hailing from the American north-west.

Lunchtime are a young band who got together in 2016 and have been gigging around Brisbane ever since. Earning themselves a following among their peers, they’ve even taken out the top spot at their high school Battle of The Bands comp. While their overall sound is still a bit rough around the edges (the guitars need to be a little tighter,) the band seemed to have found their footing with an EP of songs that mix up the indie/grunge sound with a punk attitude.

 

The opening track ‘Robin’ sets the tone with a short, blistering serve of punk. The drums sound powerful, with some pretty killer fills, while the two vocalists complement each other to deliver some great indie-style harmonies. I can picture this song being a great opener to a rockin’ live set at your local pub. ‘Hi-Fi’ is next, with some nice reverb on the opening vocal, before kicking into the chorus. The track serves up a nice grunge feel, with quiet, sludgy verses and loud choruses. Lead vocalist Constance Grafos delivers her vocal lines for the chorus well, yet could do with a boost in volume to help put her just above the rest of the band a little better. The guitars come together a bit better on this one, with a nice effect on the lead guitar.

Lunchtime keep the indie rock vibe going with ‘Medusa’ and the band starts to settle into its groove on this one. It has to be mentioned at this point that the band has themselves a fantastic drummer in the form of JP Mills, with his ability to provide some really energetic fills while at the same time providing a solid backing that keeps things together. It’s also on this track that I can hear the bass player really chugging along. Awesome guitar solo, as well. ‘The Robot Song’ slows it down slightly, with a more pop vocal harmony taking the spotlight, and some nice piano added for good measure. This is about as close to a ballad as Lunchtime might get, as they tend to really sound best in full rock mode.

 

With ‘Hate is A Noun’ the band produced its first music video effort, with some slick production helping to solidify the track as the band’s first single. The opening drum part sets the scene for a grungy chorus, which comes back to my earlier point that Lunchtime’s EP wouldn’t sound out of place alongside Mudhoney’s Superfuzz Bigmuff  or, to go a bit local, Spiderbait’s earlier works. The haunting reprise of ‘Hate is a noun’ is pretty anthemic, and with a bit of pop punk polish helping the track to stand out on the EP. The band’s closing track, ‘Get Over It,’ has the band deliver a decent rock banger to see out the release. I can tell this whole EP was recorded live, and by this point Lunchtime seem to have relaxed into their studio session and have really come together as a unit. The harmonies the two vocalists bring to the overall sound help to deliver a cool signature sound for the band.

Feedback might sound a little rough, which to be fair is expected when you only have limited studio time, but if they rehearse often and gig at every opportunity Lunchtime could become a solid band. I even wouldn’t be surprised to see them supporting the likes of Camp Cope or The Smith Street Band in the future.

If this is the calibre of talent coming up in the younger generation, rock is in good hands.

LUNCHTIME – Feedback track listing:

1. Robin
2. Hi-Fi
3. Medusa
4. The Robot Song
5. Hate is a Noun
6. Get over it

Rating: 7/10
Feedback is Out Now via Bandcamp
Review By – Simon Valentine @SimonValentine1