The biggest problem with Inner Onwriter, the debut album by Lanky (the moniker chosen by New Jersey native Frank Stabile) was that the good songs were almost exactly balanced out by unmemorable songs. And while an EP is the perfect way to compensate for having some weaker songs in an artists repertoire, an acoustic live EP might not be the most convincing showcase for the stronger material either. Therein lies the problem with Last Chance For A First Impression the songs arent bad, but the combination of Lankys voice and his strummed guitar is too sparse for material which ends up sounding unfinished. The most successful element of his debut was the multiple layers of instruments that kept most songs sounding interesting, and that simply doesnt happen here. Naturally, theres a cover version just so the audience didnt feel completely lost by the new songs, and Lanky picked U2's "Whos Gonna Ride Your Wild Horses not a terrible version, but hardly a revelation either. This is the kind of EP that will keep the fans who caught him playing live happy, but everyone else will have to wait until he gets back into the studio to have their ears opened.
(Imposter)Lanky
Last Chance For A First Impression
BY Michael EdwardsPublished Jul 1, 2004