Swami Lushbeard’s story began at an airplane mock-up facility in Los Angeles, transformed into a rehearsal space. A few friends with a desire to be a part of something much larger than themselves gathered to make music, and before any of them realized it, they had started a new journey.
The band says that: “There was the idea of not so much believing what we’ve seen, but in seeing what we believe. We were ready to commit art. We needed a way to describe what we felt right at that moment… We needed someone or something to guide us and show us the way. An all-inclusive idea that would match our desire to master our inner-selves while looking cool doing it.”
Thus Swami Lushbeard came to life, bringing together two of rock n roll’s most beloved and essential instruments, the piano and the guitar, which are featured throughout the band’s music. They have recently released their Ep “A Burning Desire” which contains 3 tracks namely, “Stay Lost”, “My Best Thinking”, and the “The Bottom”.
The three songs work great together, almost like it’s a concept Ep, and reading the band’s synopsis on the creation of “A Burning Desire”, this is not too far from the truth, considering that Swami Lushbeard describes the songs on the Ep as taking “…a journey to the desert of the truth, the whole truth and nothing even remotely close to the truth.” Clearly alluding to their interrogatory statement; “In today’s world of instant messaging, ego massaging ergonomic success stories, the mundane is the divine! Is there anything we won’t share about? What about our truth?”, they ask.
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Every track on this Ep bristles with energy and passion. They truly sound like a band on a mission. They don’t spout off empty sarcasm and arrogance, like many of their counterparts, but truly examine the collective psyche of society. What amazes me most about Swami Lushbeard is the fact that they do what they do, no matter what the trends in music are currently dictating. While the mainstream is desperately seeking out the next trendsetter, Swami Lushbeard keep busy making great rock and roll on their own terms.
The Ep kicks off with “Stay Lost”, a relentlessly catchy and to-the-point opener. “My Best Thinking” is a colorfully sprawling, mid-tempo, acoustic guitar arrangement. “The Bottom” is my favorite track on the Ep; it represents the band at their atmospheric best, and includes some oblique counterpoint breakdowns, that remind me of both the golden grunge era and classic 70’s rock.
All throughout the Ep, there are nasty grooves and killer playing from Don Sprouls on Guitar (and Vocals), Danny Kopel on Keyboards and Accordion, and Andre Howie on Bass. Ian Michaels on drums plays tasteful and innovative beats and fills, rather than hammering out the usual tasteless, powerhouse fodder.
Overall Swami Lushbeard is a powerfully strong unit and seem to have full control of their music, making everything sound really catchy and inspiring on “A Burning Desire”. Intelligent dynamic energy is on hand here, while the band has it’s finger on the pulse of what makes good rock n’ roll, and why it ever came into being in the first place.
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