by Jason

Lazy Legs is a Chicago-based band consisting of Laura Wagner (bass, vox), Michael Tenzer (guitar, vox), and Nicholas Piontek (drums). Chain of Pink is their second EP and they also have released a full-length entitled Visiondeath on digital and cassette. Their first single was released in November 2015 after they formed in 2014. They are a shoegaze band that doesn’t shy away from doing some experimental dabbling. From the droney “Small Talk” to the noise-laden “Soft Skull”, the young band produces great songwriting elements alongside shoegazey bliss.

Chain of Pink begins with drone piece filled with “ooo’s” and “ah’s” floating in a stream of subtle, vibrating noise called “Small Talk.” It’s a brief, gorgeous mood setter for the EP. This leads into “Chain of Pink” where swirling soundscapes creep about and the drums come into the mix. Then, the roar of a wall of sound explodes. The walls part and Tenzer and Wagner lend dreamy, reverbed vocals deep in the ocean of sound. The bridge is a brilliant onslaught of wailing strings. The din of the guitars eventually fades into silence. “Flicker” has a decidedly different feel, beginning with an almost post-rock, 80’s vibe reminiscent of Echo and the Bunnymen and similar bands. Of course, the gazey elements eventually erupt as a giant wall of sound soars skyward. The vocals are ghostlike, drifting in the spaces between the percussion and ethereal sounds. The bass on this track is especially wonderful in tone and phrasing choices.

“Soft Skull” begins with an immediate frenzy, with guitars, bass, and drum working in tandem in controlled chaos. There is a sense that the band is going to go over the edge but never does. The guitars ring out in blankets of reverb and slight fuzz. Piontek is electric here, pounding away an infectious beat while Tenzer picks away off-kilter guitar lines. The song eventually hums into silence and the slow moving “August” comes up in the speakers. This is a dreamy, Slowdive-esque song that is careful, patient, and has several complex elements throughout. There are wonderfully careful places in this track where the band allows the music to just breath and others where the guitars erupt, creating hills and valleys throughout. It’s a wonderful finish to an all-too-short EP.

Lazy Legs bring a great group of songs that tease fans about what’s coming next. Better yet, they have offered Chain of Pink for free and, if you do pay for the tracks, they give that money to charity. Go download them now! Chain of Pink moves from droney contemplation to giant walls of dense sound. Its short nature leaves the listener wanting far more and their next full-length can’t come soon enough.