Review: Living Things

Living Things
“Turn in Your Friends and Neighbors”

Three brothers from St. Louis playing a bluesy ‘Stooges rock, heavy on the downstroke, muted guitar chord approach.  There is a simple charm to the structures that adds dimension to singer Lillian Berlin’s smooth low drawl.  Yeah, his name is Lillian.  That shit will get you beat up in the sports dominated Midwest scene.  Lillian didn’t care.  He and his brothers Eve on bass and Bosh on drums (seriously, did their parents WANT them to get crap beat out of them every day in school or what?) smoothed the edges on the garage rock approach making Living Things a family 3-piece.

Steve Albini produced this four song EP that is now teasing my CD player currently (that actually carries some weight if you pay attention to that sort of thing).  It’s nothing complicated mind you.  It’s pretty much just some rock.  But when it’s created by three brothers, you know that shit will be tight.  Lillian’s vocals hold enough personality, clarity and street-poet charm to inject a credible personality into Living Things.  Rock on Lillian, rock on.