What if I told you the coolest most picturesque local D.I.Y. indie band was playing F88? Laika, Columbia’s resident dreamy and angsty garage rock band curates the perfect backdrop for late nights with friends in a college town. Since 2022, the band has released four singles. Most recently their first EP, White Cicada, dropped in November 2023. The band had become a staple in Columbia’s ever-growing music scene, playing at KCOU’s 50th Birthday Bash on Halloween 2023, Record Store Day 2024, and at F88 this week.
Musically, the band has an obvious knack for writing catchy pop rock songs that are simultaneously both upbeat and tender. Songs like “Fool” have relatable lyrics that depict the longing and complexity that can be experienced as a young 20-something-year-old in the midwest. The lyrics are sung in a style similar to artists like Surf Curse, with a yearnful drawl that leaves the words hanging over the barreling staccato instrumentation. The song’s main guitar riff is energetic, and matched with a thick bassline reminiscent of The Garden. Towards the end of the track, the guitars are layered for an atmospheric solo that shows the band has good taste in terms of song production.
Another single by Laika, “Lean Dad,” starts with a dreamy progression before settling into the first verse. The washed out vocals pair extremely well with the haunting lead guitar line that punctuates the lyrics while sounding similar to a pedal steel guitar. The song finishes with an exciting build-up and a reverb-soaked guitar solo.
On White Cicada, their first EP, the band flexes their musical chops on the instrumental track “Soviet Space Dogs.” The song expands around a central spacey guitar riff, progressing dynamically as it speeds up and also has a breakdown. Later on the EP, the song “Bluff” pairs powerful yet melancholic singing with catchy and sparkly guitar riffs. Again, it is evident Laika has begun to figure out their songwriting structure as the guitars, bass, and drums all evenly build throughout the song and up to the choruses. This band is tight, energetic, and catchy, definitely something you don’t want to miss.
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