Rating: 8/10

The local band Loose Lips Sink Ships will release its new album “Puptent” today, and the band gave an exclusive first listen to the Northern Star.

For the first track of the album, “OK, I’ll Brainstorm,” could not have been a better choice. The title alone sets the pace for the entire album as it almost asks listeners to just sit back and let their minds wander. It’s very relaxing and thought-provoking up until the last minute when the song climaxes to a deafening level with a lot of static feedback that takes away from the music.

The funky interlude called “Intro To Jello Junction” reminded me of something from an old RPG (role-playing game) or Kirby background music, so that gave the song a very cool nostalgic vibe to it. Then it has a surprisingly smooth transition to the next song which has a completely different style and tone to it showing the talent of the musicians to blend the styles together.

Loose Lips shows a bit of a heavier edge in the song “Meth Is Fun,” which has a bit of a metal influence. It’s incorporated to the rest of the music in a unique way so the song cannot be classified only as a metal, but also experimental, as they use different distortions and effects on the guitars and experiment using different types of drumsticks and brushes.

“Out To Dinner with Avocado” is a very complex song because the style is changed about six times throughout the tune. They take the music in many different directions and end the song in a way that is completely different than the song began.

“Linear Musical Thought” is a more obscure song than some of the others. It is also the longest track on the album, lasting a whopping 16 minutes and 45 seconds.

One of the interesting things about this music, is that the lines are so complex. It’s almost as though the musicians are using their instruments to tell a story. This story is one that changes from ear to ear because the lack of lyrics allows the listeners to interpret their own meanings in each song.

Loose Lips Sink Ships is also able to keep listeners captivated with their fresh new sounds and ever-changing styles. Many instrumental groups seem to get stuck in a rut, but these boys keep listeners on their toes with their creative ideas in “Puptent.”