Lorquin’s Admiral make their self-titled full-length debut later this year through Argonauta Records. The band is comprised of vocalists Dawn Brown (The Fizz Fuzz) and Dandy Brown (The Fizz Fuzz, Hermano, solo), whose marriage becomes a character in itself as the album’s sides open with “My Blue Wife” and My Blue Husband,” respectively, as well as Nick Hannon and Marlon King, both of UK heavy progressives Sons of Alpha Centauri, who’d previously collaborated with Dandy Brown for the second album from Yawning Sons, the Yawning Man / Sons of Alpha Centauri offshoot first established late in the aughts.

As to why the moniker didn’t become ‘Centauri Fuzz’ or ‘Fizzy Sons,’ your guess is as good as mine. Lorquin’s Admiral take their name from a kind of butterfly, though, and one finds suitable bouncy float in the verses of a song like “Could Have Been Forever” early on or the later mellow swing of “These Lovely Things.” Songwriting is a big part of what they do. Cuts like the Dawn-led “Inexplicable Things” or side B’s “Burn and Heal” feel more specifically keyed in on desert rock; the winding lead line of “Inexplicable Things” comes across as speaking to a thread that began over 30 years ago, but that remains just a piece of what both song and album — which totals nine tracks/34 minutes — have on offer.

To wit, the start-stop blues of “Black Water” brings one of the seven total Dave Angstrom (Luna Sol, Hermano, Supafuzz) guest appearances on guitar, a duty shared with Mark Engel (Orquesta del Desierto), who has two. With Dandy on vocals, “Black Water” takes on a thoughtful strut, subdued even in its layered hook with tension in the shred looking to break out, which eventually it does, with class. The airy grunge in the lumbering back half of “Aren’t We” and the grounded Nirvana-ism of closer “To Temptation” are further ’90s ties, but there’s more than one kind of sentiment on display throughout Lorquin’s Admiral, and while it’s still definitely speaking to genre in desert rock, it’s also comfortable looking outside for inspiration. So, a bit of blues, a bit of punk attitude here and there. Not to the sacrifice of a welcoming sound, by any means.

Those who know Dandy Brown, Angstrom or ties-it-all-together drummer Steve Earle (also Afghan Whigs) from their work together in Hermano will find Lorquin’s Admiral dug into a natural tonality that feels as organic in the thicker “Burn and Heal” as in “My Blue Wife” or “Inexplicable Things.” It’s all pretty comfortable. As a contingent, they are not strangers to each other, and of course the same could be said of Hannon and King, so although they’re a ‘new band,’ the chemistry is explicable through context. Also songwriting. Also the warmth, be it of vocal melody in the varied arrangements shared between Dawn and Dandy — they swap lead spots and back each other; it’s never quite just one or the other, though balance Dandy wins out on songs fronted — or in the guitar(s) and bass tones backing them. The harmonized croon of “These Lovely Things,” for example, makes that song a late album highlight, but the abiding character that coincides with those harmonies comes from the nonetheless-crunching guitars.

Balance is the word. Also songwriting. Lorquin’s Admiral‘s Lorquin’s Admiral isn’t trying to catch the listener off guard or shock anyone with reinvention, but on a collaborative level, the record still excites by virtue of what this remote-working lineup of the Browns, Earle, Hannon, and King — plus Earle and Angstrom, who acquit themselves as essential personnel — have come up with being aligned to nobody more than anyone else. That is, Dawn and Dandy are singing, but the material belongs to Hannon and King no less, and while it’s not Sons of Alpha Centauri musically, neither is it The Fizz Fuzz or one of Dandy‘s other projects. Most of all, Lorquin’s Admiral sound like a band who could keep going, keep chasing down the path they set out here, and while there’s no guarantee that’ll happen since everyone involved here has other things happening, one hopes they manage to come ‘together’ in this fashion again. There are ideas laid out here begging to be explored.

I keep track throughout the year on stuff like this, so when I tell you I’ve put Lorquin’s Admiral in my notes among 2025’s best debuts — surely a category the entire field of which has yet to be revealed in February — understand I’m not speaking in hyperbole. I don’t know when it’s actually out, but keep an eye. In the meantime, it’s Valentine’s this week, so here’s a thing that was obviously made with love.

Please enjoy:

Lorquin’s Admiral, “Inexplicable Things” video premiere

Argonauta Records proudly announces the debut album from Lorquin’s Admiral, a groundbreaking heavy-psychedelic collaboration that promises to captivate audiences across the globe. Featuring a stellar lineup of current and former members of Afghan Whigs, the Fizz Fuzz, Hermano, Luna Sol, Orquesta del Desierto, Sons of Alpha Centauri, and Yawning Sons, the band delivers a unique blend of soul-stirring harmonies, mesmerizing riffs, and unforgettable hooks.

Building on the critically acclaimed writing partnership between Marlon King, Nick Hannon, and Dandy Brown (first established on the widely celebrated Yawning Sons album Sky Island), Lorquin’s Admiral encapsulates the essence of psychedelic rock while pushing the genre into exciting new territories. The band’s debut album highlights the stunning vocal interplay of husband-and-wife duo Dawn and Dandy Brown, and the commanding rhythms of celebrated drummer Steve Earle, creating an immersive sonic experience that is both heavy and hypnotic.

Adding to the album’s allure, guitar virtuosos David Angstrom (Hermano, Luna Sol) and Country Mark Engel lend their distinctive touch, enriching the record with lush, textured guitar landscapes. Angstrom’s contributions span seven tracks, while Engel’s masterful work graces two.

Drawing inspiration from desert rock pioneers while seamlessly incorporating elements of blues, psychedelic, and alternative music, Lorquin’s Admiral appeals to fans of Kyuss, Fu Manchu and Fatso Jetson, as well as admirers of the Cranberries, Screaming Trees and Garbage. The band carves out a unique space in the heavy-psychedelic scene, proving that rock music remains a powerful and evolving force.

Tracklisting:
1. My Blue Wife
2. Inexplicable Things
3. Could Have Been Forever
4. Black Water
5. My Blue Husband
6. Aren’t We
7. Burn and Heal
8. These Lovely Things
9. To Temptation

Produced by Dandy Brown & Sons of Alpha Centauri
Engineered & Mixed by Dan Lucas
Mastered by John McBain

Recorded at The Joplin House, Kent, UK
Additional Recording at:
Sierra Sounds, Arvada, Colorado
Brown’s Barn, Santa Rosa, California
MK Studios, Maidstone, Kent

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Tags: Argonauta Records, California, Lorquin's Admiral, Lorquin’s Admiral Self-titled, self-titled

This entry was posted on Tuesday, February 11th, 2025 at 8:25 am and is filed under Bootleg Theater. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed.