Lefty's Deceiver

The wonderfully named Lefty’s Deceiver take their moniker from one of the most effective salt water fly fishing lures on the market, and while none of the band could be termed a keen angler, there’s no denying that there is something very alluring about their music. Cheats is their third full-length album and their first with new bassist Kristine Muller, giving the band a much bigger sound than they’ve been blessed with in the past — it is a little hard to believe that there are only three people in the band. The majority of the songs are driven along by the gently frenetic drumming of Mike Kennedy (who also plays in Matt Pond PA), yet there are moments that are not particularly upbeat — dynamic melancholy, if you like. Think of Death Cab for Cutie or even some Modest Mouse. When they do really let loose, like on the title track, they even move into Fugazi territory although they don’t stay there for long. Still, they do manage to display more range than the majority of bands out there and it keeps Cheats from ever getting dull.