Lost Sounds--Black-Wave
Empty Records 2001
Being caught off-guard by the greatness of truly special albums is one of the best things about loving music. It's not everyday such an album comes along, so the gift is always treasured. Black-Wave from the Lost Sounds is one of those albums. It's so outstanding that even to say it's essential and an instant classic seems like you're selling it short.
The Lost Sounds have done an astounding job blending influences to create their own unique identity. This band's sound is obviously rooted in the new wave synth-driven sounds of artists like DEVO and Gary Numan, as well as the paint-peeling bad attitude of punk rock in the vein of the Reatards (understandably apparent since Jay Reatard is in this band). However, they've blended this base sound with subtleties taken from the most powerful aspects of black metal and goth. The result is something which sounds excitingly original, yet vaguely familiar.
Black-Wave is also unique in that there are strong individual songs on this album (in fact, they're all great), yet it is very much an album and is best enjoyed in its entirety. Some songs highlight various aspects of their sound more than others (the black metal and goth influences being most apparent on "I See Everything" and "Soon This Tomb," respectively) but the blend is always there and compelling, throughout. All this being said, maybe no other song captures the greatness of Black-Wave more than "Ocelot Rising." With its sole lyrics, "I hope you'll notice me on the train / I see you everyday," delivered over and over like some mantra pulled right out of the personal ads and laid over its beautifully layered and epic sounding musical accompaniment, this song exemplifies the passion, desperation, and power of the Lost Sounds and their music, to a tee.
Black-Wave is a brilliant album that just gets better and more fascinating with each listen. In some ways, it's probably similar to what hearing the first Black Sabbath album was like for people when that first came out--mesmerizing, due to the contradiction caused by the music's surface bleakness and the underlying hope felt from the conviction of its execution. The Lost Sounds may be the best band in the world and Black-Wave is the proof.
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