It must be difficult, and almost heartbreaking, to enter the studio with the knowledge that when you step out of it for the last time you will never step back into it. Well, for Lydia at least. With the departure of vocalist and keyboardist Mindy White, an understandable hole was impossible to abandon in sound, but that doesn’t mean the band couldn’t give its audience one more show.
Assailants, Lydia’s farewell EP, starts off just right as Leighton’s vocals still can make even the manliest of men swoon as he welcomes and bows with an unforgettable and engaging “So glad you could make it to a farewell // ‘Til we meet again // Enjoy yourself // Just sit back // Bare eyes // Start the show”
“Enjoy The Show” leads into “We Clean Up So Well”, which emphasizes Lydia’s musical and lyrical abilities and proves that a planned goodbye doesn’t need to lack effort and passion. The band was certainly not afraid to make a strong stand as Leighton sings “I could give a shit if you’re scared // Everyone, everyone can taste your hatred”, which begs the question: Is “We Clean Up So Well” a dedication to Mindy White?
“Empty Out Your Stomach” is one of Assailants’s best’s as the mixture of vocals and indie-rock/ambient tones combine at a high point as Leighton sings, “I’m sure I know what you’re going through // Yeah, I call it vanity // I lost my mouth // Can you speak for me?”
“You start to scream // Like we’re making a scene // I must remind you this is not a movie” is how “I’ve Never Seen A Witch” begins as Lydia one-by-one pick off their Assailants, regardless of what the opening line of “Enjoy The Scene” begs and what the closing line of “Assailants” cries.
Being that Assailants is only 21 minutes in length, it’s almost bittersweet that “Music Makers” is under two minutes long, but it’s certainly a treat with Leighton’s muffled vocals over a largely electronic song. “A Place Near The City” is Assailants’s best as Leighton’s soothing, but eerie vocals dominate the track with the lines “Cause whatever happened is supposed to // Whatever happened is nothing I could do” sung over an enthralling guitar part as the track disappears into the EP’s closer.
What is there to really say? It’s a farewell, it’s a goodbye. To judge Assailants next to the year’s best album or, for that matter even Illuminate, is somewhat missing the point. “I can’t seem to kill my assailants // They keep changing faces” is the line that Lydia chose to repeat throughout the EP, and it’s a line that anyone can relate to as the title track closes along with Lydia’s chapter. “You’re not the world baby // I must be sleeping it all off // Just like you had promised.”
Farewell, Lydia.
-/*****
