Don’t Get Lemon – Forward Not Forgetting (2020)
Moody 80s post-punk with a dash of new wave and disco. That is the sound explosion you get with Forward Not Forgetting by Don’t Get Lemon. The new EP mixes a range of sounds and styles that get you moving to the beat or transport you to a different plain as you listen.
Austin Curtis (vocals), Nicholas Ross (synths, guitar) and Bryan Walters (bass) took a chance with some experimentation for this EP. Touching on hauntology and the Situationist ideas of Guy Debord, the EP is not one to miss. It also gives you some colourful insight into what else the band has to offer.
The EP starts with ‘Motion With No Name’ and its progressive opening. The rippling opening draws you to synth notes that could be straight out of the 80s. The vocals also have a very British 80s new wave vibe to them. However, lurking within this nostalgia kick is a sense of modernity. The vocals have an edge to them that is all modern music even as the melody tries to take you back in time. This song has an interesting interplay between the light synth tones and the deeper vocals that cause a strange melding disconnect.
‘S.I:’ has more disco infused into the sound with a colourful background. There is something haunting about the melody of this track, almost like something is hovering over everything and you can’t quite get a lock on it. The flavour of 80s new wave continues with this song, but there are other elements that makes the track unique. There is a darkness lurking within the melody and the vocals that the opening song was missing.
The driving beat of ‘Dreaming in Concrete’ is all crashing cymbals that blend with synths. The flow of this song has a range of peaks and dips that propel you through the soundscape. There is a more sombre vibe to this song even as the melody tries to get you moving. Curtis’ vocals act as an anchor that keeps you grounded against the melodic shove.
The next track is ‘Futures Lost’ which has a very futurist melody. The synths have a marching futurism to them and make you think about those futuristic shows from the 80s. The lyrics create a darkness to the music, but this does get a boost from the melody later on. The dip in the music to something more sombre matches the lyrics and the vocals at this point.
The EP ends with ‘Idle Eyes’ which pounds against your brain from the first moment. The distant beats of the opening form an ominous crashing soundscape that is compounded by the dark guitar notes. The vocals also have a very sinister vibe to them as they seem to come from the dark depths. This is a very interesting track because it is so different from the rest of the EP. It also moves away from the 80s new wave sound.
Don’t Get Lemon fill you with 80s new wave just to pull the rug out from under you with their EP Forward Not Forgotten. Four of the five tracks sound like they come straight out of the 80s only for the last song to throw you for a loop. Throughout the EP there is a sense of darkness that really comes into its own with the final song.
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