Published on Sep 30, 2015
NAV/ATTACK is the recording project of Alaska-born Los Angeles-based artist Andrew Lynch. Boasting of plentiful experience in the studio, Lynch has worked as an audio engineer with the likes of John Cale (of The Velvet Underground), pop singer Sia, and L.A. punk supergroup Off!. In addition, Lynch has performed live as a member of The Goldberg Sisters, actor Adam Goldberg’s band. So it suffices to say that Lynch is by no means a newbie to the world of recording and playing music. So, what does one expect from an already seasoned studio personnel/musician on his debut record?
Lynch is certainly no dorm room laptop musician. However, this debut release of his has the traits and peculiarities of one such dilettante. His lo-fi indie electro sound is far from perfect and has an amateurish DIY quality that is prevalent in so many mediocre indie bands. Nevertheless, only a masterful musician who knows the rules would know how to break them. And this is what Lynch does on this record. Whether it’s the singing, the musicianship, or the production, behind the goofy and callow exterior is actually a pretty fascinating and great album.
Having studied film and video at the Academy of Art in San Francisco, Lynch stated in an interview with EQView magazine that he enjoyed the European art house cinema classics because “These films all have an element of ‘fuck you’ but also manage to be so beautiful to look at.” He echoes a similar sentiment in his music, which is snarky in a surreal way. You don’t know whether he is trying to be funny, serious, ironic, or melancholic – and he doesn’t care. The point is, it just results in great songs, and that’s all that matters.
If you just take it easy and go with whatever interpretation comes to your mind of the songs on this album (which is sure to change every time you listen to it), you will have a fantastic time listening. As Lynch further says in his interview, “I don’t like to intrude on anyone’s interpretation of these songs…I hope that doesn’t sound pretentious, but really – music is for listening!”