New albums from Greta Van Fleet

Greta Van Fleet

The Battle At Garden’s Gate LAVA/REPUBLIC

Much-hyped Michigan siblings diversify successfully on second album.

There was a rich irony missed by the many observers who criticised Greta Van Fleet’s early output for bearing too much of a Led Zeppelin influence. After all, Zep themselves didn’t start out as paragons of originality; their approach was not so much to take inspiration from blues and folk tunes, more that they just took them, frequently without credit (until the lawyers came calling).

So if we concede that most new bands, especially those formed by musicians barely out of their teens, are likely to still bear their formative influences pretty noticeably, how long do we give them to develop a sound that’s more identifiably their own?

, GVF’s follow-up to 2018’s showcases an undeniably more varied sonic palette, even if that just means there are more classic bands that its 12 songs remind you of. On opening track , the high-register voice of Josh Kiszka combined with an acoustic-based anthem throws up echoes of REO Speedwagon. Or you could be hearing Geddy Lee keening his way and , a feeling strengthened by gutsy Lifeson-like guitar chords and the lyrics ‘’ echoing Neal Peart’s libertarianism (thankfully without the Ayn Rand philosophising). But rarely do those similarities overshadow the album, even when those oft-mentioned Zep-isms are evident once again. is punctuated by an archetypally Page-style shuffle riff and a crunching, Bonham-esque rhythm. But, as with much of this album, the gutsiness of the playing and the top-line vocal melodies are just as likely to grab you – and those are qualities that can’t be begged, stolen or borrowed.