Lorquin’s Admirial is a butterfly named after a French naturalist who traveled to California during the mid-1800’s and discovered lots of lepidoptera (fancy name for butterflies and moths). I’m guessing he had no idea he would inspire a Stoner Rock band some 150 years later who would name themselves not after him, Pierre Joseph Michel Lorquin, but after one of his fluttery findlings. In this case, LORQUIN’S ADMIRAL is Stoner Rock outfit with pedigreed members from a very long list of bands including AFGHAN WHIGS, FIZZ FUZZ, HERMANO, LUNA SOL, ORQUESTA DEL DESIERTO, SONS OF ALPHA CENTAURI and YAWNING SONS.

Sonically, LORQUIN’S ADMIRIAL is mid-stream Rock; that is, nothing too heavy, off centered, or discordant. Nothing that will really get you out of your seat but also nothing that may risk summoning a soul-eating demon from the abyss, which can be a very real problem when listening to, say, Shamanistic Black Metal. The musicianship of Nick Hannon (bass), Marlon King (guitar), and Steve Earle (drums) is impressive. The vocals are all clean and shared by husband-and-wife team Dandy and Dawn Brown. Dandy’s vocals are fair-to-middling; Dawn’s are much more compelling. Songwriting is cohesive, leaning into soft melodies and warm harmonies. There are some heavy moments, but they’re dampened down in production and layered in with the softer elements—kind of like that feature on your game player that levels out loud sounds so you don’t scare the shit out of your cat.

The album features nine tracks and has a runtime of about 35 minutes. The more interesting ones have Dawn Brown on vocals with a languid, soothing style. That said standout tracks are “Burn and Heal” which has some nice lead guitar work by Marlon King and a solid, groovy riff; “Inexplicable Things” mostly because of Dawn and also the thought-provoking lyrics; and “My Blue Husband” with its curious guitar breaks and jam vibe at about the three-quarter mark.      

Okay, so this is going to sound harsh, but I estimate the band would do well to economize and just go with Dawn on vocals with Nick, Marlon, and Steve doing their thing . . . which just might be what YAWNING SON was all about but without the synths and ambient ooze or even the SONS OF ALPHA CENTAURI but with a different vocalist and drummer.

LORQUIN’S ADMIRIAL is notable for its musicianship and Dawn’s vocals. There’s some nice chemistry there. Clearly Steve Earle adds a lot of value to this new mix. What’s missing is some passion and viscera. Essentially, a bit overcooked for my primitive tastes. Those who are less inclined to the extreme side of the metal spectrum may enjoy.