Lost Sounds--Rat's Brains & Microchips
Empty 2002
Ever heard of "the rich getting richer"? Well, how about "the great getting to some stupifying level above greater"? That last one may not be a catchphrase of renown, yet, but it sure sums up what's going on with the Lost Sounds third "proper" studio outing, Rat's Brains & Microchips. It's hard to believe this band could get any better or more interesting, but here it is.
The first thing that should be noted about Rat's Brains & Microchips is that it's infinitely more abrasive than it's predecessor, Black-Wave. This is probably due mostly to a greater emphasis on the black metal elements of the band's sound and a near absence of the garagey elements they've incorporated in the past. The music of the Lost Sounds is still firmly rooted in punk and new wave but it's the way these auxilliary elements are mixed in that really shapes their sound. What all this adds up to is that the Lost Sounds control the "emotional tempo" of their music better than ever on Rat's Brains & Microchips. While most bands take the approach of augmenting soft material with louder/harder blasts, the Lost Sounds keep the abrasion factor so high for most of this album that, when the lush, Numan-esque synth parts really kick in at album's end, the effect is massive. Rat's Brains & Microchips may not provide as immediate a connection as on past Lost Sounds albums but, in the end, may stand as the most rewarding listen this band has provided to date.
As usual, the songwriting is stellar and compelling on many levels with the Lost Sounds. For one, it's interesting how far the demo versions of "Blackcoats/Whitefear" and "Total Destruction" were from the versions that made the final cut of this album. Those demo tracks posessed a laid-back coolness that has been replaced by sheer brutality in these final drafts--especially on "Total Destruction" which now sounds like total destruction. Also, some new secondary elements to the band's sound shine through on this new material. With the title track, "Rat's Brains & Microchips," you can hear a prog element creeping through which makes the Lost Sounds come off like some punk/new wave version of King Crimson. Also, the final track, "Frozen In Time," contains some beautifully textured ambient soundscaping. In the end, perhaps the most "complete" track on the album is "Peek-a-Boo UR Doomed," in that it seems to capture virtually every element of the band's sound. It's also the most traditionally "rocking" cut Rat's Brains & Microchips has to offer.
In the end, this album is yet another triumph for the Lost Sounds. The material is more consistent than ever before, yet there's enough going on within its subtleties, you'll hear something new you didn't before with each subsequent listen. Albums that continue to give to the listener are the ones that stand the test of time and become classics. Rat's Brains & Microchips is one of those records.
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