Labels: Panic Records
Review by: BW Easey
Detroit ensemble Left of the Dial released their debut “Idly By’ in November last year. “Idly By’ is a discernibly punk effort compromising two previous E.P releases from earlier in the bands career.
The band channel and interesting blend of older punk acts such as Jawbreaker combining it with modern Title Fight-esque elements.
I’m still somewhat undecided on how I feel about this record even after countless plays through from start to finish, although the album is certainly a grower in terms of both it development throughout its running time as well as my opinions after my first listen and my opinion several listens later.
The record somewhat stalls before it really takes off offering very little in way of creativity and quality across it’s first three tracks. This is not to say the albums introductory tracks are substandard they merely seem to lack anything distinctively unique that sets them apart from the usual punk re-creations that are so rife within the modern day interpretation of the genre. Having said this track 4, “rusting on your laurels’, marks a distinct change from processed punk formulas too a refreshing punk reincarnation.
The change from track 3 onward (which oddly segues the tracks from their more recent E.P to the E.P released over a year before) would make it seem the band is growing backwards, nevertheless, the album onwards really is all killer no filler.
Left of The Dial have in fact released a very good album in spite of its combination of a lacklustre E.P and a very good one. “Idly By’ is certainly one to look out for.