Lizards – Frontier / Coming in
For their latest slice of saucer-eyed Balearic perfection, Leng Records has looked to the North East of England for inspiration.
Lizards is a freshly minted project from Newcastle-based twosome Lee Forster – better known as one third of Balearic house combo Last Waltz, whose impressive releases have appeared on World Unknown, Futureboogie, Endless Flight and Is It Balearic? – and long-time friend James Hadfield of Nein Records’ Elizabeth Collective.
Despite writing music together on and off for the last 15 years, the duo only made their debut this month. As first 12” singles go, their Tanni EP on Not An Animal was something of a gem, and featured two winding, ear-pleasing chunks of dreamy, sun-kissed Balearic disco loveliness.
If anything, their Leng debut is even better. A-side “Frontier” sets the tone, layering bubbly, psychedelic electronics, vintage synthesizer arpeggio lines and strummed acoustic guitar riffs over a head nodding, 102 BPM drum machine groove. By the time the jammed-out, eyes-closed electric guitars and jaunty synthesizer melodies come in, you’ll be lost in the music.
Flipside “Coming In” stares at the sunset wistfully, effortlessly capturing the twilight humidity associated with lazy Croatian festivals and beautiful Bali beaches. Analogue synth lines flutter in the breeze, whilst picked guitar lines, spinetingling chords and a druggy bassline move the action forwards at a pleasingly loose and groovy pace. Go on, hug a stranger; after all, we’re all friends in Lizards’ baggy, melody-rich world.
