Album Review: Lazerbeak – Lava Bangers II

A Decade in the Making

Minneapolis based Aaron Mader, more commonly known as Lazerbeak, comes out with Lava Bangers II, the sequel to his second solo album from 2012. The new album has a strong sense of sound, as if Mader has been thinking about this since the last Lava Bangers album. Mader has a history in working and collaborating with multiple genres, including bluegrass, indie, jazz and orchestra music. The hip/hop jazz fusion works really well in songs such as the opener, “Inner Winner,” “Decades” and the closing piece “Maggie Valley.” The latter features a saxophone riff that gets incorporated into the beat. Mader uses many uncommon instrumentalizations for this project. Including a pipe organ in the fifteenth track, “Cheesecake.” The organ provides a spiritual tone, as the most commonly understood use of the instrument is typically through the church. An almost holy celebration to elevate the passion behind the music. 

Every beat feels lively, as if it is meant to breathe energy into the listener. The differing styles throughout his career has sewn itself into the album, making all twenty tracks sound individualistic yet connected. The second track, “Hardwood Classic”, is reminiscent of the soundtrack for a 16-bit game. Yet it flows effortlessly into the next song “Decades,” which as previously stated has a more jazzy, blues vibe. The transition is helped by the consistent theme and motif that is only slightly keyed down for minimal change. Consistent themes throughout the songs enforce the connectivity.

As the album flows from track to track, Lazerbeak successfully retains the interest of listeners without the presence of a standard pop song. There are no repeating choruses or repeating verses. Instead, Mader creates vastly creative music that could easily be used in collaboration with other artists. However it is clear that the solo album is the best place to platform and put a spotlight on his unique sound. Lava Bangers II is out and available now, and is a highly recommended listening experience.