The Lanterns – The Lanterns
Dayton, Ohio is home to a very special artist named Al Joseph. His solo project, The Lanterns, produces some of the godliest guitar tones on /mu/ and is very much deserving of attention.
Christmas Lights in August is a beautiful serenade, with majestic guitar tones and drums reminiscent of the Microphones. Much of the album borrows from Phil Elvrum, such as Come With Me and Pulled Out By The Ocean. The second track, My Head is a Cannonball, is charming and delightful; placating strums elevate the final section in an extremely pleasant manner. On My Hands and Knees also boasts an alluring and wholesome instrumental end portion, though the first half is held back by its by-the-numbers composition. We Can't Build Our House There is as basic as this album gets. (interlude) and (dirge) surround the centrepiece Come With Me in a stylish manner. Each song within this section homes a gorgeous atmosphere; especially when the instruments have room to breathe. Furthermore, these tracks mark an excellent creative peak in the album; these songs are expressive, original, and illustrate a calming atmosphere.
The second half of the album is more vulnerable and expressive. Pulled Out By The Ocean has a standard Elvrum-esque opening that provides a stunning contrast to the bittersweet second half. It Came Over the Hill, pt. 2 is gorgeous; the strumming is perfectly mixed in amid the gentle poetry. Cold, Dead Wind / (untitled) is a beautifully crafted track with a noteworthy progression and spectacular crescendo. Hole in the Ground is a divine closing track, though offers few new ideas
Each song is so articulately composed and craftily expressive. The genre of music is sadly quite unoriginal, though, dragging the overall score down drastically. this is mostly in relation to the drumming; when the drums are in overdrive, it’s much too redolent of The Microphones. If the Lanterns were to maintain this aesthetic, I suggest they focus on the sombre moments more. When Joseph strips back conventions, his composure and expression is masterful. Furthermore, his vocals are very pleasant. This is a great listen overall and most certainly worth listening to.
Good
The Lanterns – The Lanterns
