Lungs of a Giant - hot dog
Hot Dog = Lo-Fi
"Smokin' Kitty"
http://www.lungsofagiant.com

By Marc Hogan

Lungs of a Giant's songs shrug off the last few years 
of post-post-punk with the kind of droning, dirty guitars 
that first drew you to indie rock.

The words "Smokin' Kitty" don't appear anywhere on the Brooklyn group's latest offering. 
But a sketch of a, well, smoking kitty set against a black backdrop gets the idea across. 
It's not <i>The Velvet Underground & Nico</i>, but it works.

The drawing's casual, dashed-off appearance also provides a fitting introduction 
Lungs of a Giant's pleasantly sloppy indie-rock, which hearkens back to Pavement, 
Yo La Tengo and Sonic Youth.

Sixth track "Prove It" finds the band at its catchiest, as appropriately dissonant 
boy-girl vocals sing an irrepressible hook over winding guitar leads and chugging 
<i>Crooked Rain, Crooked Rain</i> rhythm guitar. "And still I'd like to know / 
just how one person can have such hold," goes the chorus, riding a twangy melody.

Fat, roof-shaking synthesizers join the distortion for "Non Hip Iceberg," another standout, 
with singer/guitarist Hannah Cabbell taking the lead on vocals.

"Troubled" finds more intricate, fuzzy guitars intersecting as vocalist/guitarist Paul Watling intones, "You're not dead, but lord how you try." The chords in the bridge subtly evoke 
"She Says" by Jon Spencer Blues Explosion.

Another highlight is the second track, "Crickets," which eerily brings to mind 
the noises of those creatures with bizarre guitar loops, before the 
familiar guitars return with remarkable warmth. Cabbell's soft vocals almost 
get buried in the storm -- almost.

Lungs of a Giant owe a huge debt to some of the best bands of indie rock's golden age, 
in a time when the trendiest groups are still imitating New Wave. 
"Smokin' Kitty" suggests it's time for tastemakers to fast forward to 1997, 
the year of <i>I Can Feel the Heart Beating as One</i> and <i>Brighten the Corners</i>.