Lux Courageous formed in 2001 as a duo. According to their bio, "PJ Tepe and Adam Loporto had a good reason to come together and do something productive with their frustrations, considering the state of the world and music that specific year." That "coming together" spawned months of writing and recording, playing shows, and the band decided to add two more members, Chris Valentino and Jani Zubkovs, the music began to take a new direction, different from that of the previous acoustic duo. With the release of an EP and the edition of a piano player, Justin Williams, the band signed to Triple Crown Records, and released their debut full-length: Reasons That Keep The Ground Near.
This was a frustrating album to review, because it possesses all of the elements that I enjoy in this genre of music. Piano runs, thumping bass lines, and acoustic guitars are at the forefront of this debut release not to mention the raspy, pitchy vocals of PJ Tepe. Yet there was a lackluster, monotonous, feel to Reasons That Keep The Ground Near. It could be the vocals that tend to get old very quick, or the safe, predictable turn each song seems to take. It could be the already trodden territory that has been explored by bands like The Anniversary and The Get Up Kids a few years back. Songs like the guitar driven, accented by the sweeping piano runs found in "Irresistible" are catchy, and grab your attention for a few minutes, but after several listens, it loses its attraction. "Everything You Wanted" follows the same formula with a hooky chorus to pull you in, while the country laced "Prayer From The Priest" picks things up a bit, and keeps thing interesting. The bouncy guitar and piano work of "Battles" takes an unexpected twist, but will quickly find you singing along, and the album's closer "What A Place To Find One's Divinity" finds Tepe singing softly, and is one of the stronger vocal performances on the album.
Reasons That Keep The Ground Near is an album that at times is too eclectic and at others predictable. The shining guitar hooks and moody piano runs are eerily similar to The Get Up Kids, but they still manage to encapsulate their sound in the music. This is a band with plenty of talent and room to grow; unfortunately this is not an album where that is explored. That does not mean that Reasons That Keep The Ground Near isn't enjoyable, it has its moments, which makes this worth a listen.
2/4
