The Mike Lynch Band - The Mike Lynch Band

The Mike Lynch Band

The Mike Lynch Band
self-released; 2014

3.5 out of 5

By Jamie Funk

The story of The Mike Lynch Band is one that I’m sure a lot of bands can relate to. In 2012 Mike Lynch was playing open mic, burger joint, etc. Lynch eventually collaborated with Taylor Chance (guitar) and Coleman Fitch (drummer). The trio went to Nashville to record their self-titled EP The Mike Lynch Band and added John Bridgman (bassist, sax). Not too much later Tommy Embrich and Augustus Martini joined on as well.

The Mike Lynch Band is an eclectic five-song EP which contains elements of folk, country and rock. The recording quality and production is exceptional and the songwriting is also very strong. Some of the material felt a little predictable but still enjoyable.

The band opens with “The Ride” which initially sounds very much like “Steal My Kisses” by Ben Harper because of the chord progression. Luckily, the song takes off in very different directions. It’s a well-delivered song and everything sits in the right place. “The Ride” is arguably the most single worthy song out of the five. Between the easy to remember lyrics and palatable chorus the song screams mainstream radio.

My personal favorite song was “Bad News” which might remind you of Wilco. The song starts with a steady yet soft kick drums that build the energy for the acoustic guitar and vocals. Snare hits and electric guitar come into the mix and you feel the build up brewing. The song ends up being anti-climactic in a good way becomes it never does release from the build up.

“Shadows” is a relatively straightforward rock/pop song that lies somewhere between Spoon and John Mellencamp while “Letters” is a stripped down song void of percussion and instead combines orchestral strings with guitar. They close with “Out in Style” which is a back to basics rock song.

The Mike Lynch Band seems a bit conflicted between the acoustic country/folk side and their propensity to rock. The band does both well but they may have to figure out a way to combine the two a little bit more seamlessly. Their EP is solid but it also showcases an above average band who is still looking for their own sound. This EP was made in 2014 so I doubt we will have to wait too long to see how the band has progressed.

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