Lecube

Often compared to the likes of Bob Dylan (that’s a big one to stand up to), Elliot Smith and Syd Barrett, Julien Barbagallo aka AKA Lecube holds a special place in the music world. He’s whimsical and lovely. The songs on From Here to Now are “stories of women he’d love to meet, men he’d love to be, and vice versa.” Now that’s an interesting position to start from, don’t you think?

What makes this record transcend the singer-songwriter genre is Lecube’s genuine intensity. From Here to Now has careful arrangements, capricious guitars, and even a bit of the old mouth organ, giving it a modern sensibility. Opening track, Before I Die is a sombre ode to time and the consequences of it moving whether you want it to or not. It seems a bit dark, but with Lecube’s attention to detail, its intensity opens the album beautifully. Creatures sees Lecube step things up a notch and introduce awesome power into the soundscape. There’s even a Beatles cover included on the 8-track album.

From Here to Now is a rare little gem.

www.myspace.com/ilovelecube.

Shirley Stevenson