8/10
On their third effort, Lie Until You Prove It, Minneapolis-based rock group General B and The Wiz manage to refine their sound and put together a fun, solid, and deceptively tasteful musical experience. Lie Until You Prove It is technically an EP – it’s only a little over 20 minutes long, and there are only five tracks. However, the album manages to cram enough content and diversity into those twenty minutes that its density rivals many full-length albums. Rarely do you find a well-balanced release with as little filler as Lie Until You Prove It.
General B and The Wiz hop between a gritty blues sound and fast-paced rock with a few slow, crooning acoustic guitar/piano moments for good measure. The ensemble has some great energy on their more explosive tracks “Solid Gold” and “Pin Me Down”, but they manage to keep their slower tracks just as fresh and interesting. The only fault to be found in these songs is their lyrical content. It’s a minor gripe considering the overall feel of the album, but it’s worth mentioning. Vocalist Quincy Voris has more than enough charisma and talent, but his lyrics are relatively plain. If the band didn’t have a defined sound, this would be a bigger concern. As it stands, though, Lie Until You Prove It is more than capable of supporting itself.
The first four tracks on the album are all strong efforts on their own, but the final song deserves a special mention. On the album’s closing title track, General B and The Wiz show their true colors. For eight minutes, they pound on eerie and melodic synths, a strong bass groove, driving percussion, and some surprisingly complex guitar riffs, all topped by Voris’ calming falsetto. The song evolves, changing tempo, volume, and energy several times before its abrupt conclusion. It ends the album on a high note, combining and solidifying the overall feel of the previous tracks.
Hopefully the group will be able to build on this sound in the future; the track has stuck with me for days and I’m still finding new reasons to enjoy it. That goes for the entire album – if you can spare twenty minutes, Lie Until You Prove It is fun, explosive, and well-performed.
Recommended Tracks: 05 “Lie Until You Prove It” (long), 01 “Solid Gold”, 04 “Pin Me Down”
Sounds like: The Black Keys, Dead Weather, 50s and 60s pop rock
Review by David Robideau
