The Lost Patrol’s darkly gorgeous new album, “Chasing Shadows”
Veteran New York City-based indie-rockers The Lost Patrol have just released their new collection Chasing Shadows, their fifth album with lead singer Mollie Israel and their tenth overall. The quartet, which also includes multi-instrumentalists Michael Williams and Stephen Masucci along with drummer Tony Mann, may have hit upon their finest album yet.
Chasing Shadows has The Lost Patrol’s usual mix of haunting, ethereal vocals and darkly swirling guitars and keyboards that give the songs a dramatic, cinematic vibe. It’s easy to imagine any of these atmospheric tracks fitting right into the latest David Lynch or Quentin Tarantino movie. Chasing Shadows doesn’t stray too far from the band’s trademark style, but that’s not a bad thing. Israel’s hypnotic vocals float over spectral soundscapes that are as gorgeous as they are menacing. The album opens with the ominous “Creeper,” a moody, slow-grooving piece built on a simple repetitive organ riff and chiming guitars. Another standout track is “Too Hard, Too Fast,” a strongly melodic and edgy rocker, while the somber “S’enfuir” is a gorgeous, languid ballad drenched in mystery.
“Trust Me” is The Lost Patrol’s version of an almost country-rock shuffle. “Treachery” is another highlight, with Israel delivering a sultry vocal over a mid-tempo groove. The stately title track is arguably the strongest moment on the album, dark and beautiful with layers of guitar and an intense vocal performance by Molly Israel that give the song an almost sinister quality.
The Gothic waltz “I’m 28” is an evocative and beautiful piece shrouded in thick layers of sound. The pace picks up with “Hurricane,” which has a heavy back-beat and densely churning guitars. The album’s closer, “If I Could,” is another haunting waltz that brings to mind the great Mazzy Star. Chasing Shadows is a brief 30 minutes in length, but it feels like a complete, if compact, collection of songs. It’s a welcome addition to their already impressive catalog.
The Lost Patrol is one of those great bands who have been putting out one great album after another for years, but haven’t gotten the big break they need to grasp onto a larger audience. Hopefully Chasing Shadows is the album that puts them over the top, because they are a band that deserves to be heard. Read more about The Lost Patrol at their website, TheLostPatrol.com.
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