Ambient Rock
With winter fast approaching, here's a chill out record which could be the perfect accompaniment to nights in sheltering from the cold and wet. 'Desert Ocean' is Lanterna's fifth album and is certainly an ambient record with a difference, created from traditional rock instruments rather than electronic or dance music ideas.
This is primarily the solo project of prolific American guitarist Henry Frayne, formerly of bands such as Moon Seven Times and Area. His vision and influence for this album came from the time he spent travelling across the USA and Europe while promoting previous album 'Highways', and one instant observation is that this is a real free spirit of a record. I can imagine driving through mountains miles from anywhere, no fixed time constraints on anything, with this kind of CD on the stereo. In the same way as a book with no pictures makes you use your imagination to create identities for characters and places which it describes; albums with no vocals leave you without the focus of what the band or artist is trying to tell you, with the music taking you to wherever your imagination will let you.
The record opens with what is one of the greatest chilled tracks I've ever heard. The simple structure of 'Luminous' reminds me of something you'd find on an Ibiza Chill-out CD, but in sound it is very reminiscent of dreamy Pink Floyd. In fact throughout this ten track offering, when trying to place a vocal style to the music the voice of David Gilmore is never far away from the mind.
Having heaped such praise on the opening track it's hardly surprising the next couple don't capture my imagination in quite the same way, had they been the album's openers things may have been different. Also the concern was that, enjoyable though they both are, neither 'Venture' nor 'Summer Break' seemed to be taking this record off the beaten track.
The lack of drums on 'Fog' is a welcome surprise, and the mellower feel is continued with '48th & 8th'.
The second half of this album continues very much in the same vein as the first, some excellent guitar pieces complemented by instrumentation which is uncomplicated yet effective as it gives the lead guitar, which is often echoe-y, haunting and crisp in the way U2 or Pink Floyd might sound, room to breathe. This is meant in the best possible way: 'Desert Ocean' sounds like perfect hotel lounge music.
'Desert Oceans' is available now on Jemez Mountain records and is worth hearing just for track one.