Loner Deluxe - Must Not Sleep Must Warn Others/Lost & Found (Rusted Rail)
I remember childhood the trips to the beach -- the seagulls swarming in the cloudy grey sky, the cold sea and the salty air that I was always told was good for me. I still believe the bit about the sea air, even through all the modern pollutants. Loner Deluxe is music that is the perfect accompaniment to looking at old Polaroid pictures of outings when you were strapped into your parents' car, whizzing off and shouting ,“Are we there, yet?”
Traveling across strange lands, seeing the sea surface behind houses for the first time and the sadness at having to go home, with the flashing lights of the arcade still in your mind were the days I am reliving as I listen to this album. There’s even a mini Polaroid type pictures stuck on the case.
Stylistically, the music is a dub enthused Indie electronica. Looped acoustic guitars, field recordings and snippets of conversation create melodies of reminiscent respite and calm.
Charmingly twee at times, bashful at others, Loner Deluxe are just one great big bundle of fun.
Pianos feature heavily alongside the acoustic tones. Think Hood’s early Ambient outings spliced with their latter day Cold House-esque drum patterns and you have Loner Deluxe. Also, if you liked The Declining Winter then Loner Deluxe walks the same autumn hedge lined roads.
A 3” mini cd, packaged in equally small casing, this tiny gem hides big adventures. A remix CD is a great addition to the album tracks, adding some amazing angles to some already wonderful tracks.
Stay in, keep warm, grab a drink and listen to Loner Deluxe.
7.5/10
Nicky