Local Review: Lost Penguins – fix it – da world

Lost Penguins
fix it – da world

Self-Released
Street: 1.11
Lost Penguins = FIDLAR – of Montreal (Freewave Lucifer f<ck f^ck f>ck) 

Salt Lake band, Lost Penguins, who have performed at various places including your local Cafe Zupas, give a grungy-psych whirlwind in their less-than-20-minute album. The first song, “wake up. WAKE UP!” grabs your attention with a cool, yet woe-is-me vibe check. The singer starts, “He looks out / Of his eyeballs / Into the big ball / He calls home / He goes from one place / To another / Never wonders / Where he goes.” It gives off similar attributes to The Black Keys’ 2014 Turn Blue by having a moody, existentialist undercurrent. 

Moreover, “send starfish” is one of those depressingly accurate songs. “Let it be let it be / Just how hard it is to see / That in this country we’re free / And there’s nothing in it for me.” I love the sublime creative choice of incorporating the Beatles’ iconic “Let It Be” melody and lyrics with something that is not necessarily bright or light—it’s not a silver-lining song, to say the least—and how the Lost Penguins managed to get away with that is also pretty badass. 

“bezos en el espacio,” which translates to “kisses in space,” gets a tad too murky. I like the concept and the fact that the band accomplishes many different takes, turns and styles by mixing genres and manipulating the vocals. However, it’s not a great song. Pass. Then, there’s more bad news: “we found love.” Pass that one too. I absolutely despise cover songs. I know, Kassidy is getting personal here and spewing out her below-average beliefs into this should-be somewhat objective review, but good GOD. Cover songs. Don’t do it unless you’re famous like The Beatles or Hamid Al Shaeri.

I had high hopes for this album. fix it – da world has such a fantastic first handful of tracks, but I found myself agitated towards the end by the kitschy ideology of “life’s unfair and then you die” ringing constantly within the lyrics. Don’t get me wrong, Lost Penguins are a very talented band that has inner depth and a well-rounded, almost altruistic type of voice— and yes, sure, life’s unfair and then you die. If you ask me, Lost Penguins are capable of digging deeper; they have the skill and platform, now they just need inspiration. –Kassidy Waddell

Read more from Kassidy Waddell:
Local Review: imp – In The Garden
Local Review: Jeff Dillon and The Revival – Scenes From The End