Detailed Reviews [Lost World – 2010 - "Sound Source"]

Prolusion. The Russian outfit LOST WORLD started out as a trio under the slightly shorter moniker Lost World back in 1990, and released their initial effort "Trajectories" in 2003, followed by "Awakening of the Elements" in 2006. Since then they have added a fourth member to their line-up, added the Band description to their collective name, and in the fall of 2009 they released their third production, "Sound Source," on the French label Musea Records, an album two years in the making.

Analysis. Among the many cliches one encounters in the art rock universe, some of the more resilient ones concern bands that incorporate flute and violin into their regular instrumentations. The former is bound to be compared to Jethro Tull at some point, especially if their sonic palette includes some elements that can be referenced to folk music, while the latter at some stage will see their material referenced to Kansas in a minor or major way. In the case of Lost World Band, they do have passages that feature aggressive flute soloing, backed by guitars in a manner comparable to Ian Anderson's revolving group of merry men, and they have plenty of themes with spirited violin soloing set in a symphonic landscape, reminding one of the earlier material produced by Robbie Steinhardt and company – often in the same composition. But while this guarantees that fans of these two highly known outfits will encounter familiar sounding themes if they decide to explore this band, there are numerous differences to point out as well. Additional dimensions to the sonic palette utilized by Lost World Band are elements of folk music, in a more traditional manner, and they know their way around classical symphonic landscapes as well – in the case of this album I encountered a fair few motifs with distinct baroque inspirations. At least that's my main impression, possibly due to the use of the clavichord; those with a greater expertise than mine in the topic may feel free to correct me on that point. Other symphonic elements used are harder to place directly, and as they are commonly used as a backdrop they are only rarely given dominant placement. And while the description so far has somewhat played down this aspect, Lost World Band does indeed play rock music. Solid rhythms, bass and guitars are squarely represented, and we're even provided with a few pieces of material adhering closer to the King Crimson type of music, with dissonant, distorted guitars as a central feature. This part of the material is best represented by Trapped, where the violins add an additional dimension to this overall brilliant creation.

Conclusion. "Sound Source" is a solid production and should be of general interest to those who like adventurous instrumental art rock, incorporating elements from folk music and classical symphonic compositions. And while there is an emphasis on strong melodies and harmonies throughout, this quartet isn't afraid to venture into realms demanding a higher degree of compositional sophistication either. Fans of bands like Jethro Tull and Kansas will arguably be ones who'll find this material most familiar on initial inspection, but the intricate musical maneuvers of this band and the width and variety of musical expressions guarantee them finding an audience well beyond the realms of these examples.

OMB=Olav M Bjornsen: Jan 10, 2010
The Rating Room