John Lebanon describes themselves as “folk pop and alt-rock from Beirut to Boston”, a core that shines on their latest album, Kite without a string. Establishing a sound that’s both introspective and liberating, they invite you to experience it as a layered sequence of emotions, and they do so much more than simply deliver.
The album’s opener, Hurricane eyes, immediately establishes a dreamlike, textured atmosphere that’s filled with both your typical indie-rock energy. The vocals are relaxed, but you can tell it’s one with a slightly urgent edge to it – a contrast that makes you want to dive in and explore what’s causing it – and the drums complement them and embody this tension perfectly. Then comes the titular Kite without a string, a song that slows things down, expands to give the arrangement space, and invites you in to start unravelling what John Lebanon is saying on the album. With lines like “Don’t be fooled by their velvet skies and open your eyes,” the track explores how letting go can release you from weights you didn’t know you were carrying, and thus flows into the Arabic Maksour: acoustic and minimal, it focuses on creating a mood that even listeners who don’t understand the lyrics can feel, showcasing the band’s ability to tell stories that transcend language.
As the shimmering strings of Vermontier – dusk edition come through your speakers, the focus starts to shift: apt for a transitional moment between the first and second halves of Kite without a string. The gaze seems to shift outwards, and the sound starts to blend further between the instrumental and vocal layers, leading to a beautifully cohesive sound. Mizuri leans into the folk-pop identity John Lebanon has established, with plucked strings and arpeggios forming the base for an intimate, vulnerable sound; the instrumental layers on this track, in particular, are an out-and-out masterpiece. Petit pierre ties the idea of freedom with the mundane, creating a track that reminds you to slow down and appreciate the world around you, while Self made world takes your hand and walks with you up to the summit, so to speak: gentle, balanced, and introspective, it’s more of a companion than an overbearing presence. And so, we reach I like to play – 17’ bones: an intentional, minimal song that leaves space for you to fill in what you’re taking away from this emotional journey. As the album wraps up, it leaves you with a sense of calm. Much like a kite without a string, you’ll feel untethered, but not lost; drifting, but not aimless. Just happy, content, and free.