Lone Kodiak - If We Have a Future

Lone Kodiak

If We Have a Future
self-released; 2024

By Jamie Funk

Lone Kodiak’s debut album If We Have a Future crashes into existence with the kind of unrelenting energy that defines their LA-based sound. The quartet—Daniel Alden on bass, Josh Harris on drums, Ben Palmer on guitar, and frontman Dainéal Parker handling vocals and guitar—seamlessly blends post-rock atmospherics with the grittiness of grunge, conjuring influences like Queens of the Stone Age and Deafheaven. But Lone Kodiak isn’t just playing within genres; they’re bending them.

The album hits like a surge of adrenaline, a relentless assault on the senses where every instrument is dialed into the red. Distortion reigns, bass and drums hammer, and the guitars stretch to fill every corner of the frequency spectrum. It’s an immersive experience that builds and swells, constantly pushing for higher altitudes, with crescendos that feel both triumphant and inevitable.

"Breads on Oak" stands out as one of the more straightforward, yet effective, tracks. Anchored by an anthemic chorus, it begs to be sung by a crowd, and Parker’s vocal delivery—reminiscent of Chris Cornell’s gravelly soulfulness—adds a depth that elevates the song beyond standard rock fare.

On "Obvious States," the band stretches their wings even further, reaching for the celestial with shimmering guitar work and breakdowns that echo Explosions in the Sky’s spacious, cinematic approach. And then there’s "Cold Shoulder," a standout with its hypnotic, repetitive guitar lines and shimmering ambient layers. It builds toward a wall of distortion—predictable, perhaps, but no less satisfying—its beauty amplified by the harshness of the noise.

The technical abilities of the band is undeniable, but what makes If We Have a Future stick is its cohesiveness. The album only reveals more of itself with each listen, drawing you deeper into its raw, visceral world.

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