Though a project so newborn it could be in a maternity ward, Oregon-based Lost Lander delivers their first album DRRT with the experience and sureness of a veteran collaboration. In all seriousness, these guys are awesome. DDRT is the baby of producer Brent Knopf and Matt Sheely, both musicians in their own right before joining up with Sarah Fennell on keys and vocals, Dave Lowensohn on bass and vocals, and Patrick Hughes on drums. The result is a compilation of the electric pulsing rhythms and poetic lyrics that will surely soon be known as the distinct sound of Lost Lander.
“Cold Feet,” the track set to be released as the next single for the group, was an expert choice. Rarely do the instrumentals of a song fit so well with the lyrics — indeed they fit so seamlessly together it is seems unclear which came first, the lyrics or the notes. The driving nature of the beat is consistent with the repetitive lyrics “Too much information / I gotta turn it off…” that instill a kind of frantic feeling as the song goes on. Frantic, however, does not mean unpleasant, and as the song moves from verse to chorus it draws you in and becomes impossible to turn off. (Perhaps literally, as I’ve had the song on repeat for days.)
The album is split pretty evenly between softer, lulling tracks (such as “Afraid of Summer” and my personal favorite, “Gossamer”) and ones that have a far more edgy, heavy feel. Songs such as “Dig (How It Feels to Lay in the Soft Light)” are intense and driving — the rhythms of “Dig” give off the feeling of indulging in something forbidden. One listen is something akin to sneaking out of your parents’ house to do dirty things with the kid they don’t approve of.
DDRT takes inspiration from Knopf and Sheely’s Pacific Northwest surroundings and effectively turns it into music that is both enjoyable and substantive. Every note, chord change, and lyric serves a purpose, cultimating in an album that is intensely personal and damn near mesmerizing.