Lemon (24)

Lemon is a New York-based collaborative consisting of singer/songwriter Roger Smith and multi-instrumentalist Thor Madsen. Smith and Madsen are heavily influenced by a variety of genres, but their passion for 70s R&B is particulary expressive in several of their songs. Madsen’s ability to play vitually every instrument heard results in some very funky sounds reminiscent of the era of Marvin Gaye and Al Green, as evidenced in ‘Come Alive’, which is led by an aggressive slap bass. They do not limit themselves to this sound however, and have made songs with disco funk influence as well. Roger Smith has a very nice range in his vocals, shifting from R&B to synth-pop very easily. The production efforts are also particularly impressive, with the lush ‘Daydream’ using some very interesting and effective African percussion. The duo simply makes enjoyable and accessible pop music, with influences from several eras of songwriting.