by @thoughtontracks

Lost Left’s Levollinen is a 2012 release that has been criminally under-appreciated. Lead singer Ben Pritchard crafts stark, effortless songs whose depth appears to grow and multiply in the cavernous auditory spaces that surround his poetic lyrics. Pritchard writes in lyrical fragments rather than narrative arcs, that signal a mood or theme without spelling it out for the listener. The result is an authentic minimalism, where the essence of Lost Left’s songs are exposed and brought to the forefront of the material.

Needless to say, I was thrilled to learn last week that the band has been recording new material with intentions of a new album sometime next year. The first taste comes in the form of “Minerva”. The track is one of a pair of acoustic recordings laid down in a church in the borough of Hackney in North London. The sincerity of Pritchard’s delivery is one that forces the listener to approach the song with a somber seriousness. “Haunting” is an adjective that I find vague and trite in music criticism, but one that nevertheless comes to mind on “Minerva.” The giggles and shrieks of children at play that emanate from just outside the church provide a comforting contrast to the solemnity at hand.

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Written by Rob Peoni

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Album Review: Lost Left Levollinen