Review: Luther – Let’s Get You Somewhere Else

Luther, hailing from Philadelphia, has already made quite a name for themselves in their brief existence. The band has played with everyone from The Menzingers and Dave Hause to The Bouncing Souls and Hot Water Music. With a 7-song EP and a 4-way split under their belt, Luther’s first full-length effort, Let’s Get You Somewhere Else, was released on October 9th through Chunksaah Records.

The album kicks off with “The Concrete Sound,” which immediately brings to mind Apathy and Exhaustion-era Lawrence Arms. Throughout the record, you’ll find that Luther has no problem wearing their influences on their sleeves. Musically, parallels can be drawn to Jimmy Eat World and Hey Mercedes; however, the band has their own stories to tell and embrace their own energy in delivering them. Their ability to walk the fine line of catchy pop-rock while maintaining aggression and raw elements sets them apart from many other bands in their area.

Lyrically, Let’s Get You Somewhere Else presents itself as a very relatable record. The listener will have no problem finding common ground within 11 tracks of uncertainty and embracing all of life’s inevitable grievances. There’s a touch of irony in songs like “Heavy Money,” which presents the lyric “I’m smoking and screaming, I’m coughing and complaining” as a very upbeat hook, while the honest, straightforward delivery of lines, such as “There are things that they will take from you,” in “The Glory Bees,” beg to be shouted along with in repetition.

It’s the dynamic of melancholy/hopeless lyrics coupled with catchy hooks and occasional grit that makes Let’s Get You Somewhere Else an easy album to listen to from start to finish. This is showcased best on one of the standout tracks on the record, “The Second Star,” which gently proclaims, “The devil is strong, the devil is right for turning us on and letting us lie here.”

Luther is not breaking new ground with Let’s Get You Somewhere Else, but they have delved head-first into a winning formula that is tested and proven by many bands prior. If they’ve shown anything with this release, it’s that their energy and ability to write consistently catchy songs with honest lyrics, while maintaining a punk rock element, puts them up there with the best of them. Luther has truly hit their stride with their first full-length release and will be an easy band for listeners to latch on to moving forward.

Luther is currently on tour in support of Let’s Get You Somewhere Else with Static Radio, The Arteries, and The Smoking Popes.