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The Lift

It Is What It Is

(Little Red; US: 24 Apr 2007; UK: Unavailable)

Los Angeles band The Lift expects fans to be uplifted by this record. But the album’s rather routine feel during “No Secret” doesn’t have much bite or verve to it; while a tight pop song, it’s nothing that would make you break out into a wide smile. The dance-rock feeling of the title track won’t cause elation either nor does the murky but stale feeling of “Warmth”. In fact, the latter track is somewhat cold. The first song that shows some promise is the indie-rock ditty “Mask”, which is driven by a great bass line á la The Cure. Unfortunately, the album is what it is, and generally isn’t all that hot. “Heliopolis” seems to stand out among the record’s second half, but compared to what is presented, it’s not all that stellar a tune. Perhaps the highlight is the above-average “For the Broken Hearted”.

Rating:

Originally from Cape Breton, MacNeil is currently writing for the Toronto Sun as well as other publications, including All Music Guide, Billboard.com, NME.com, Country Standard Time, Skope Magazine, Chart Magazine, Glide, Ft. Myers Magazine and Celtic Heritage. A graduate of the University of King's College, MacNeil currently resides in Toronto. He has interviewed hundreds of acts ranging from Metallica and AC/DC to Daniel Lanois and Smokey Robinson. MacNeil (modestly referred to as King J to friends), a diehard Philadelphia Flyers fan, has seen the Rolling Stones in a club setting, thereby knowing he will rest in peace at some point down the road. Oh, and he writes for PopMatters.com.


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