READY STEADY DALE-A-GOGO
cd reviews - June 2, 2013
Dale Agogo
Driven
daleagogo.blogspot.com

Lost Patrol makes shimmering dream pop with a muscular edge that incorporates a wide palette of stylistic influences into one cohesive and gorgeous album.

New York trio the Lost Patrol are not an easy band to pigeonhole or even accurately describe in brief synopsis. They play ethereal pop with roots in goth and shoegazer, but their sound is too wide reaching to comfortably fit within the rigid parameters often associated with those genres. They build on their songs by integrating elements of other genres in innovative ways without ever sounding forced or gimmicky. Rich surf guitar tones flow into lush dreamy soundscapes with bits of Ennio Morricone added to the mix. They comfortably shift between moody electronica and sunnier jangle pop and then throw in a wonderful twist on girl group dramatics. The thing that amazes me most about Driven is how well the album flows considering all of the change-ups they incorporate.

Mollie Israel's vocals are absolutely gorgeous while still packing a powerful punch. At times her voice reminds me of Shirley Manson, Slowdive's Rachel Goswell, or Blonde Readhead's Kazu Makino. Driven is lush album with some epic moments, but it manages to maintain an intimacy and warmth that could have easily been lost in lesser hands. The only song that doesn't work entirely for me is "Just Go", which is a convincing WWII era sounding vocal pop number with an equally convincing period delivery (piano, stand up bass, and drum brushwork), but it's the only moment on the record where the band's diversity is distracting. But that's a small complaint, especially since they pull it off so well.

I'm new to Lost Patrol, so I not only get the joy of this fabulous album, but I'm also looking forward to digging into their catalog.

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