Review Summary: Come all ye weary
It's always a bit weird when I first listen to an album that takes influence from [insert your religious scripture here]. It's never from the message itself, it is more from how I feel like regardless of my own listening experience, that my experience is lacking in how the author[s] intended it to be interpreted due to not having that shared view through the lens of faith. Luckily, many of the allegories in [insert your religious scripture here] can be viewed as a greater focus on the human condition outside of the context of the church/temple/mosque/shrine etc. This is the case with Les Doux's second EP
Dialects. Based around the Biblical story of The Prodigal Son, the Mississippi based post-hardcore act have rather cleverly approached their concept by wrapping it rather neatly in playful syntax. Every song on the album is named after a grammatical construct and follows it intently through out the course of the song: i.e. Declarative is lyrically comprised of declarative statements and Interrogative is based solely around questions. It is surprising how well this concept within a concept works. There is never a forced moment or a harsh line that feels pounded into the work with the force of a ball-pin hammer to the temple, instead everything is smoothly integrated into the bigger whole. Their New Testament inspiration is tactfully executed within this syntax play, acting more as an view in to the humanity of the original story than an anchor to drop line and bear witness, although there are a few places where it does get close to that thin line.
Musically, Les Doux are remarkably on point. With a sound that builds around not only the emotive explosion of the last couple years but as well as the bluesy twang of their own locational roots,
Dialects is quite a unique and fun listen. While the blues influences have been toned down a bit since their debut, enough remain to give it a distinctive personality, much like that of later era Thrice, only grittier. The only thing that holds back the EP is its production job, with its opening track containing a level of polish unlike the other three tracks it is a noticeable distraction, especially when the dustier tones of the less studio-worked songs suits the feel and style of
Dialects much better. Luckily everything eventually slides into place. All in all, Les Doux's second EP is a productive exercise that builds off of their past work and creatively displays some of the potential that's out there in the rising post-hardcore underground if you're willing to look for it.
