There’s a lot to be said about raw honesty in songwriting, which is often conflated with depression, grief, and suffering, especially in the alternative scene, but on Violet, L.S. Dunes proves there’s just as much to be found in healing and eternal optimism.
The supergroup – composed of Tim Payne and Tucker Rule of Thursday, Travis Stever of Coheed and Cambria, Frank Iero of My Chemical Romance, and Anthony Green of Saosin – formed during the pandemic as a “low stress” collaborative effort, with Green entering later in the process and having to “shoehorn” lyrics into the complicated instrumental foundation of Past Lives. Violet sees the group stepping into their own without losing each member’s distinctive sound, leading to an exciting and at times surprising sophomore showcase.
The album opens up with Green’s acapella vocals on “Like Magick,” creating an intimate, confessional feeling before the band surrounds him in sound. The choice is bold and symbolic, placing Green’s lyricism at the forefront of the record before the track breaks out into a sweeping guitar solo. Tucker notes this as an important moment for the album. One where listeners know, “all bets are off.”
Despite this, Dunes still manages to establish a sense cohesion throughout. Green’s delicate melodic vocals are often overlaid with his rattling, impassioned screams. Payne’s chugging bass tone cuts through the mix on tracks like “I Can See It Now…” and “Paper Tigers,” and guitar riffs tend to mimic Green’s vocal delivery on a delay. Each choice feels deliberate and masterfully constructed while still offering space for exploration.
Single “Machines” remains a stand-out as one of the catchiest and most anthemic songs on the record. As Green screams, “Tonight it can be anything you want,” over an Interpol and Strokes inspired backing, it’s hard not to find yourself singing along by the end.
“Holograms” features psychedelic, fazed-out guitars reminiscent of a desert rock sound while the riff in “Things I Thought Would Last Forever” pulls some of the strongest influence from Coheed and Cambria’s metal leanings. Album closer “Forgiveness” carries a mellowness that other songs on the record lack and buried orchestration that brings a striking finality.
Title track “Violet,” encapsulates the magic the band regularly references in interviews, with Iero claiming he practically wrote the song in one sitting. While Green may have originally been intimidated to write accompanying lyrics, “You’re gonna get what you deserve,” becomes the perfect embodiment of L.S. Dunes’ shift from sarcastic melancholy to newfound hope. While the hue may never appear in the lyrics, it took on a metaphysical meaning in the album’s conception. Violet, just like the color, presents L.S. Dunes at their highest frequency yet.
You can catch L.S. Dunes at the Basement East on Apr. 12.