EP REVIEW: Fool’s Gold – Lyoness

LYONESS may be a new name to the scene, but comprising ex-GALLOWS man Steph Carter and his long time partner and collaborator Gigi Gold (their previous band GHOST RIDERS IN THE SKY remains one of this country’s most criminally overlooked acts in recent memory), there is plenty to get excited about on their debut EP Fool’s Gold. 

This collection of six swaggering slices of contemporary rock ’n’ roll isn’t one to hang around, clocking in at a snip under 16 minutes. Their penchant for quick-fire one shots results in something of a mixed bag though on first listen. There are plenty of positives, yes – and we will come onto those soon – but first impressions are important, and it’s tough to gloss over some of the niggling issues that presented themselves early on.

Firstly, a number of these songs, and by extension the EP itself, end abruptly. In measure, this is fine, and it works for some of these tracks, such as Heroine which packs as much punch into 1:54 as possible. But elsewhere, it leaves tracks like The Silence feeling a bit like they’ve just been dropped and they were unsure as to where to take them.

Secondly, the vocals on occasion feel washed out. Gold is a fantastic vocalist – let’s never take away from that – but in terms of the mix of this band, there are moments where something doesn’t quite gel. The ending of Know Thyself for instance has the full band build to their most raucous on the EP and it leaves the vocal refrain struggling to keep its head above water. They’ve tried to combat this with layered vocals, but ultimately this is a mix that doesn’t quite do justice to the talent available.

This is a nice segue into those all important positives though, of which there are plenty. Sticking with the vocals, there are moments on Fool’s Gold that are breathtaking. EP opener Deliverance feels luxurious and ethereal, powerful and poised all within 140 seconds. Bookended by Gold‘s rich solo melodies, this grows to be a powerhouse vocal performance showcasing the full range of what she is capable of.

Then there are the songs themselves. Huge choruses are plentiful here and it’s not beyond the pale to imagine these songs ringing out across festival fields. The Silence has all the markings of a future fan favourite, with a simple yet effective chorus that gets its hooks in almost instantly. Good luck getting this one out of your head.

Also worth mentioning is the breadth of riffage on display. Carter established himself as a force to be reckoned with back in his GALLOWS days, and he runs the full gamut here. Ranging from crunching, venomous passages to delicately plucked lines, all through that Americana lens, it makes for an impressive portfolio that sets the scene for a band finding exactly what direction they’ll be taking.

This is a real grower of an EP and you may find yourself enjoying this more and more with every listen. A large part of this is how richly layered some of the production is; you’ll still be picking out new things you’ve not noticed before on your eighth, ninth and tenth listens. As an EP that requires multiple plays, Fool’s Gold is a tantalising, intriguing, stylish debut that has its teething problems, but ultimately LYONESS have done enough here to suggest they’re really onto something. 

Rating: 7/10

Fool’s Gold is set for release on April 29th via self-release.

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