Lybria – “Apogee” [Album Review]

Questions abound as to what exactly qualifies Lybria’s brand of 90’s rock worship as “space rock”. Is it the slightly more dissonant tone, or slightly longer interludes into slightly shoegaze-ish parts? It’s undeniable that the band’s album covers are pretty much the only definite thing that marks the space theme for the band, even when considering some of the song titles, such as “Event Horizon” and “Launch” among others like “Demons” and “Sweet Dreams”.

Personal wrinkles over thematic claims aside, it’s not exactly detrimental for the band to establish their own hard on for a particular side of subject matter, as long as the result is worth the suspension of doubt throughout delivery. And while the band have some good ideas, it never soars past the stratosphere. Certainly there are some great riffs, some great parts. But ultimately this is a terribly average compilation of 90’s nods with an affinity for the stars.

That’s not to say this is unpleasant territory. Far from it. The tone is often pleasing, like an inoffensive palate cleanser before the main attraction. But for a band that touts itself as a Midwest darling, this album gives more interest to thematic interest over actual instrumental merit. While all this is not to say that it’s not terrible, it’s not terribly riveting either. Which is sad, given that making something ‘spacey’ doesn’t mean it needs to be mediocre chops. Often some of the most dynamic material has been about and through the lens of what makes our little blue-green marble precisely so small. However, this particular meditation on the cosmos instead serves as background rather than sole focus material.

Apogee Track Listing:

01. Fargo
02. To Survive
03. Sweet Dreams
04. Demons
05. Proposition
06. Blind
07. Apogee
08. Launch
09. Lonely Voyage
10. Event Horizon

Release Date: January 3, 2016
Run Time: 47:18

Check out the track “Proposition” here.