Safely back at shore

By Henry Lipput

Although it’s been five years since the last album from The Legal Matters (Chapter Three) was released, it was clear from “Everybody Know,” the first single and opening track from the new Lost At Sea (Big Stir Records) that the band is still at its peak.

Andy Reed, Chris Richards and Keith Klingensmith are the mainstays of The Legal Matters. They write and perform (both vocals and instruments) on each song and are once again joined by Danny Brown on drums. Their melodies and harmonies are a major factor in their success as one of the premier popmeisters from Michigan (in my review of “Every body Knows” I mentioned that the band’s harmonies lift their songs to Fab heights and I’d like to clarify this by saying it’s the kind of sound you hear on mid-period Beatle albums like Rubber Soul.

“Shake This Feeling” is a gorgeous, melancholy song with lyrics that hint of a pending break-up. The melody and harmonies shine throughout and the second instrument solo begins with an acoustic guitar, followed by an electric guitar, and then a masterful blending of the two.

The promotional materials for Lost At Sea describe “Slow Down” as "evoking the most tender moments of Big Star.” The Legal Matters have long been influenced by that iconic band as you can hear on Conrad’s “The Cool Kid” and “Pull My String.” In addition Richards and his band The Subtractions did a beautiful cover of “Thirteen” on their Peaks and Valleys album.

Closing the album in grand fashion is “The Exit Signs” which is clearly The Legal Matters’ take on “Good Vibrations” as well as an acknowledgement of the trio to the influence of The Beach Boys to their vocal stylings