The Lazlo Device - Gunslinger EP

The Lazlo Device

Gunslinger EP
Animal Farm; 2014

3.9 out of 5

By Ethan Skelton

With the vocals of earlier Arcade Fire and ambient groove come The Lazlo Device and their aptly named Gunslinger EP. That word is just cool so I'll award points right out the gate. Moreover, it has a strong connotation with Stephen King's epic work, The Dark Tower series. I wouldn't be surprised if they had found inspiration from such readings. Then again, I could easily be wildly assuming and for that I beg your pardon. Except I think I'm onto something. Either way the songs sound from another time and seem to tell the tale of a killer, possibly a madman or revered assassin. 

The long echoing hollow chords of "Gunslinger" are a perfect opening to this short journey into a desolate station town full of tension and danger. The intensity starts to climb as the toms rumble exquisitely beneath the increasingly volatile vocals. And when everything breaks it's a controlled storm that leaves you deeply impressed.

"Evocativor" is possibly the best title I'll come across for awhile. This track is more danceable and gentle but it still has a pronounced bounce of strange hiding in its core. The vocals adopt reggae style inflection and the guitar hits the off beats with more attack, except it's gone as soon as it came and we return to comfortable tremolo in the face of neo adult alternative. 

"Mantra" is like a calm wind over the sea, the wind that comes just before the clouds roll in and cast their shadows onto the shore and into the heart of land. It's quite introspective and demands feeling from the listener. I gave mine freely and was pleased to find this track is more than it appears. There's no clear winner in this game of three. The Gunslinger is another stout collection of fine music.

It should be known, these guys have much more up their sleeve. Give their song catalog a go and discover the other layers waiting to be peeled. They've released multiple singles and versions that issue sophistication and victory. From the smallest guitar pluck to the floating harmonies that chill the air, this is the stuff that really begs writing about.

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