Album Reviews

- by Tom Dumarey

A board game designer, a zookeeper and the former drummer for Cheap Girls walk into a bar. No joke. They just set up, have a beer and start cranking out indie/punk/power pop songs with a 90ies vibe.

Started by vocalist/guitarist Jason Kotarski, Singing Lungs began the way bands should begin. Just a bunch of friends hanging out, writing music and talking about how much better music was when they were teenagers. Their debut album ‘Groan’ comes with ten songs that reminded me of Dinosaur Jr (‘Disappearing Act’), early REM (‘Conscience Rocks’) and 90ies pop-punk (the Smoking Popes-like ‘Home’, the short blast that is ‘I Wanna Watch TV With You’) with some overall Superchunk flavor applied.

Kotarski might not be the greatest singer I have ever heard, but that’s okay. These songs have a lot of heart, big melodies and all the buzzing guitar action you can wish for. If Singing Lungs walk into a bar near you, stick around. I can’t imagine them being anything but a total blast live.

Track listing:

1. Home    
2. Flow    
3. Hanging Around    
4. Disappearing Act    
5. Where I Belong    
6. I'll Be Right Here    
7. I Wanna Watch TV With You    
8. Conscience Rocks    
9. Where Have You Been
10. Without You Around