Minneapolis all-star band, Lovely Dark, offers a promising and enjoyable, if slightly flawed, debut
Minneapolis all-star band, Lovely Dark, offers a promising and enjoyable, if slightly flawed, debut
by D. Sykes
As a long-time fan of Buffalo Buffalo Buffalo, Travis and Sonia Even’s primary project, I’m compelled to compare them to side-project Lovely Dark–an instinct exacerbated by the new band’s similar thematic obsession with divinity and naturalism. While similar at their core, Lovely Dark is a thoroughly unique sonic experience. Both lyrically and musically, these songs rely on minimalism and graceful delivery to make their impact.
Lovely Dark is what music journalists once referred to as a “supergroup,” back before everyone and their mom was in three different bands. They’re a bunch of musicians from wildly different backgrounds, all in a grip of different groups, some of which have received positive media attention. While Territories has its flaws, the record is an example of talented musicians crafting a coherent and original sound together.
The most immediately surprising element of their style is its sparseness—there’s a lot of space in this recording, and it’s mostly used to great effect. Throughout the album, aural themes of drone and tremolo-picked guitar consistently emerge amongst the wash of ethereal vocals and varied instrumentation. Restraint seems to be the modus operandi, however—and nobody’s feet get stepped on, something surprising coming from such an experienced group of musicians.
Unfortunately, that same restraint sometimes leads to the tracks sounding similar, despite their often intriguing hooks. Tracks like “Phoenix” easily slip into the background without making an impact, but other songs like “Three Legged Crow” (featuring a simple yet effective dark synth line with shockwaves of guitar leading into the chorus) demand the listener’s attention with their unique instrumentation.
While Lovely Dark seems to lose some of the passion of their live show in the studio, especially vocally, there is still a consistent and interesting interplay between the band’s three very distinct singers–the Evens and bassist Kent Thomson. Sonia Even’s wistful and haunting pipes and Thomson’s gruffer delivery are one of the best elements of Lovely Dark’s sound.
The instrumental element of the band seems to thrive a bit more in the studio environment. Rounded out by lead guitarist Brian Lake and dual drummers Max Becker and Ben Johnston, they’re certainly a precise and meticulous bunch. This serves both to exacerbate the band’s frequent concessions to pop sounds (one is often reminded of artists like Natalie Merchant or Sarah McLachlan) and elevate the more progressive elements of their music. Songs like “The Great Furnace” and “Words in the Earth,” a tune anchored by a simply fantastic fingerpicked acoustic, move elegantly through unconventional structures and make the most of the band’s diverse musical abilities.
Given that this conglomerate of folk-prog multi-instrumentalists all belong to other projects, chances to see them live are a bit slim. I would encourage discerning local music fans to take the opportunity to do so, however, as their live show is the ideal introduction to their sound. You can both check out upcoming dates and stream tracks from Territories on their website.
