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Lewca – Friday Night Rockstar
Release Date: December 16, 2022
Label: Independent
Format: Album | Vinyl/CD/Digital
Duration: 39:36 | 13 tracks
Genre: Alternative Rock / Anarcho Pop
Origin: Paris, France
Squatting on both Sides of The Channel
Lewca is a Brixton-born musician who moved to French capital Paris where he played in several bands and collaborated with musicians of different backgrounds and spheres. Being surrounded by the anarchist influence of squats and artist métiers, Lewca early began breaking up and re-arranging genre features. After succesfully breaking with conventions of genre barriers and stylistic devices, Lewca also broke up with the band idea in 2018 and started acting solo. Although still cooperating with other musicians – among them many of his former band colleagues – a whole new chapter in his artistic career commenced thereby. Alongside many singles and collaborative releases, three EPs marked the very early phase of this new chapter: „Three Kids and a Morgage“ (2020 – Review), „Walking the Hedgehog“ (2021 – Review), and „Geezer Pop“ (2021 – Review).
The sound of the Urban Jungle
Sound-wise, „Friday Night Rockstar“ is as colourful and vibrant as the streets around the squats. Producer S.O.A.P. is responsible for the vast majority of the compositions, and furthermore, the album features plenty of guest appearances. Those are Ben Samama, Ian Williamson, Zar Acoustic, Shark Star, The JMC, Orange G, Ambre, Chris James Willows, Oh! Paulo, Victory Flow, and Mondo Trash. All these artists contributed to a boppy bouquet of urban sounds with a range that succesfully destroys the concept of genre barriers. Drum and Bass meet Alternative Rock, Rap vocals kiss Jungle, Garage Rock pirouettes around Dream Pop, and many other unexpected liaisons follow. On his first album, Lewca presents himself as the punk rocker dancing with a disco jacket, as the rapper enjoying a rave, or as the sensitive soul touring through run-down dungeon clubs. No borders, just love and fun!
On Life and Time
One may not find a golden line that leads through „Friday Night Rockstar“ like in classic literature. And if you view Lewca’s debut album from a literary point of view that makes perfect sense. The thirteen-track release is constructed like an omnibus books, like a volume consisting of numerous episodes with only little coherence except for a hypernymic them. Thus, „Friday Night Rockstar“ can be enjoyed like a highly versatile stream-of-consciousness novel that features a new impression every three minutes. Each of these little episodes come with their own little theme, like a wild party, thoughts on life and the future, the ‚Everday Struggle‘, love, or diversion from melancholy.
Like this, Lewca makes the listeners accompany the album’s protagonist through a life between cloud nine and rock bottom, or as one could also call it: life. And that is exactly one of the umbrella terms that define this loose collection of musical episodes: „Friday Night Rockstar“ is about life and the passing of time.
This is just the beginning
The thirteen tracks that Lewca, S.O.A.P. and their guest musicians recorded for „Friday Night Rock Star“ are just the tip of the iceberg since they belong to a thirty-song collection which has been split in two full-lengths releases. The second part „Boombap for Boomers“ will follow.
The first part though is a sonic journey through lows and highs that can easily run on repeat for several rounds and still spead entertainment. Between heavy rock sounds, dreamy synthesizers, soulful Funk, or activating electronic sounds, variety is the key here. People who love (musically) themed albums will probably detest „Friday Night Rockstar“, lovers of diverting variety will find a lot of pleasure in this gem though.
8/10 Mangoes
