CURSE OF LONO - AS I FELL

2018 - Submarine Cat Records
Despite the fact that 'As I fell' is different to their debut, this talented band strike me as having a 'signature sound.' By that I mean that from the very first play of the first track it was recognizably Curse of Lono. I know I had the cover and sleeve notes and knew what I was playing and the warm expressive lead vocals of Felix Bechtolsheimer are quite distinctive but it is the harmonies that seem to produce that 'Curse of Lono sound.' To this has to be added the depth and fullness of the songs and their arrangements that often produce an eerie darkness, even on songs that are not of themselves dark. The feeling they produce in some ways awakens echoes of the haunting otherworldliness of the 'hillbillies' of old and the counter, 'race music,' ('Blues' in today's parlance!) That is not to say that musically there is much in common with those long gone artists who worked at the dawn of the recording industry and in a world unknown to just about anybody alive today. It's more by way of that otherworldliness that is so difficult to tie down to a time and place. In just about every way that often used term 'Southern gothic' could have been invented to describe Curse of Lono!
The band lineup is as it was on their 2017 debut 'Severed,' with Felix Bechtolsheimer on lead vocals and guitars as well as all song writing. (with the exception of the final 'outro') Neil Findlay who worked with Felix in the sadly no longer with us 'Hey Negrita' was on drums, with Dani Ruiz Hernandez on keyboards and vocals, Joe Hazel, guitars and vocals and Charis Anderson, bass and vocals. Many consider the bass to simply be there to create a foundation in the background but in this band it is of vital importance and actually contributes hugely towards the Curse of Lono signature sound thanks to Charis Andersons quite fearless playing and of course her beautiful harmony vocals that blend so perfectly with Felix's, although always with a separation and individuality between the two, again helping towards that signature. The album was beautifully produced by Oli Bayston and the recording was carried out at Rancho B, Pioneertown, California and at Flesh and Bone, London.
'As I fell' has a sound that is sometimes reminiscent of progressive rock but that again, is probably down to the depth and drive of the music, although Felix's highly descriptive lyrics and the way he phrases them is sometimes reminiscent of David Gilmour's vocal projections with Pink Floyd, when all around can sometimes sound riven with chaos and heaviness whilst the vocals are rooted in the calm at the eye of the storm.
There has always been a strong 'American music' influence in the music that Felix has produced, both with Curse of Lono and the 'late great' Hey Negrita. It is a highly developed strain that often contains more than just a strand of country although the underlying deep roots feel to me to me to be linked more to the blues. This is certainly not a blues album and many will argue there doesn't seem to be very much of a link, so what on earth am I going on about?! Really it strikes me that the blues 'root' is more by way of the deep emotional roots that always seems to contain a soulful sadness. Of course it should also be noted that Joe Hazels tremendous lead guitar skills are able to move through blues, country, prog rock and no doubt many other genres and styles and when we get to the harmonies, Charis Anderson adds a lovely femininity to the blend of the three men, enhancing that strong sense of originality. There is always a slightly otherworldly, mystical air to their songs, a bit like U2 on the best day they have yet to have! Strangely the deep sense of drama that is inherent in most of the songs creates an often uplifting experience, something that is caused by the blending of the harmonies and the power of the melodies. I've often written and talked about the 'haunting eeriness' of the music of some of the old time artists such as Dock Boggs, Frank Hutchison, Charley Patton, the Carter family and many others but that feeling in virtually all of those cases is generated by the eerie old vocals. In the case of Curse of Lono it is the whole package. The bass is further forward in the mix than many bands or producers will allow and it seems to me the guitar bass strings get more use, in all creating an incredibly deep heavy sound, whilst felix's vocals are left to create the story line and provide a little normality and focus whilst all around is throbbing and hard driving.
The album opens with Valentine and in a fashion that sets the scene, in terms of depth, for what is to follow and that is the dynamic, tuneful bass line and thudding percussion propelling the song before the beautifully blended harmony vocals come in. There is often a chopping electric guitar tone in the background bringing a powerful sense of drama to an incredibly melodic yet dramatic song that eventually takes off with distorted guitar before falling back to the beautiful harmonies and up front bass line on a song that however many times you listen to it never loses its dramatic, melodic intensity. I'd start a war for you has an unusual keyboard sound again with choppy guitar, thudding bass and percussion leading to Felix's untreated but none the less spooky vocal that fits perfectly in the arrangement of this dramatic tale, with the harmonies coming in to add the uplifting icing and deepen the drama. At times, as with many of the band's songs there is a vague memory of early 1970s 'prog rock' but however much the listener disliked that much vilified genre it will actually heighten the pleasure of this tremendous recording. I doubt that anyone involved in the recording had prog rock on their mind, particularly as the album is so rooted in the deep spookiness of 'old dark country' with more than a dash of swampy bluesiness. Yes, I know; it's difficult to imagine that blend but that's what this uniquely talented band brings to their music! There is a very slow gentle fade in of beautifully haunting guitar (a la Ry Cooder perhaps?) on Kathleen, with a keyboard tone in the background leading to a haunting piano sound and the ubiquitous but essential throbbing bass and percussion that, as i've already said, is part and parcel of this bands signature sound, leading to Felix's atmospherically haunting vocal. As the vocal builds in intensity the harmonies come in, giving the song even more depth and power on this beautiful, if unusually arranged 'ballad' that lets the listener know that really, when dealing with Curse of Lono none of these generic terms mean too much, it is more a question of the 'generic atmosphere.' Final mention is of Tell me about your love, with its gentle, yet choppy guitar and percussion intro leading to Felix's vocal with the deep throbbing bass gradually propelling itself into the mix and a hauntingly melodic guitar in the background coming to the fore on another deep, haunting tale.
This is music that is incredibly nuanced and has great depth, often including a pervasive darkness whilst at the same time having a lovely wrap around warmth. A strange contrast I know but the upshot of this is that however many times the album is listened to there is always something else that springs to the listener's attention and perhaps alters the perspective a little. The foregoing may seem rather convoluted, in fact it is, but this album has so much depth and is so nuanced that, having now listened to it dozens of time, there are still revelations that I hadn't picked up on before. There are very few, if any, other albums that you can say or write that about. Long may this talented band continue to plough their country, prog, blues, rock, swampy furrow!
https://www.curseoflonoband.com/
Despite the fact that 'As I fell' is different to their debut, this talented band strike me as having a 'signature sound.' By that I mean that from the very first play of the first track it was recognizably Curse of Lono. I know I had the cover and sleeve notes and knew what I was playing and the warm expressive lead vocals of Felix Bechtolsheimer are quite distinctive but it is the harmonies that seem to produce that 'Curse of Lono sound.' To this has to be added the depth and fullness of the songs and their arrangements that often produce an eerie darkness, even on songs that are not of themselves dark. The feeling they produce in some ways awakens echoes of the haunting otherworldliness of the 'hillbillies' of old and the counter, 'race music,' ('Blues' in today's parlance!) That is not to say that musically there is much in common with those long gone artists who worked at the dawn of the recording industry and in a world unknown to just about anybody alive today. It's more by way of that otherworldliness that is so difficult to tie down to a time and place. In just about every way that often used term 'Southern gothic' could have been invented to describe Curse of Lono!
The band lineup is as it was on their 2017 debut 'Severed,' with Felix Bechtolsheimer on lead vocals and guitars as well as all song writing. (with the exception of the final 'outro') Neil Findlay who worked with Felix in the sadly no longer with us 'Hey Negrita' was on drums, with Dani Ruiz Hernandez on keyboards and vocals, Joe Hazel, guitars and vocals and Charis Anderson, bass and vocals. Many consider the bass to simply be there to create a foundation in the background but in this band it is of vital importance and actually contributes hugely towards the Curse of Lono signature sound thanks to Charis Andersons quite fearless playing and of course her beautiful harmony vocals that blend so perfectly with Felix's, although always with a separation and individuality between the two, again helping towards that signature. The album was beautifully produced by Oli Bayston and the recording was carried out at Rancho B, Pioneertown, California and at Flesh and Bone, London.
'As I fell' has a sound that is sometimes reminiscent of progressive rock but that again, is probably down to the depth and drive of the music, although Felix's highly descriptive lyrics and the way he phrases them is sometimes reminiscent of David Gilmour's vocal projections with Pink Floyd, when all around can sometimes sound riven with chaos and heaviness whilst the vocals are rooted in the calm at the eye of the storm.
There has always been a strong 'American music' influence in the music that Felix has produced, both with Curse of Lono and the 'late great' Hey Negrita. It is a highly developed strain that often contains more than just a strand of country although the underlying deep roots feel to me to me to be linked more to the blues. This is certainly not a blues album and many will argue there doesn't seem to be very much of a link, so what on earth am I going on about?! Really it strikes me that the blues 'root' is more by way of the deep emotional roots that always seems to contain a soulful sadness. Of course it should also be noted that Joe Hazels tremendous lead guitar skills are able to move through blues, country, prog rock and no doubt many other genres and styles and when we get to the harmonies, Charis Anderson adds a lovely femininity to the blend of the three men, enhancing that strong sense of originality. There is always a slightly otherworldly, mystical air to their songs, a bit like U2 on the best day they have yet to have! Strangely the deep sense of drama that is inherent in most of the songs creates an often uplifting experience, something that is caused by the blending of the harmonies and the power of the melodies. I've often written and talked about the 'haunting eeriness' of the music of some of the old time artists such as Dock Boggs, Frank Hutchison, Charley Patton, the Carter family and many others but that feeling in virtually all of those cases is generated by the eerie old vocals. In the case of Curse of Lono it is the whole package. The bass is further forward in the mix than many bands or producers will allow and it seems to me the guitar bass strings get more use, in all creating an incredibly deep heavy sound, whilst felix's vocals are left to create the story line and provide a little normality and focus whilst all around is throbbing and hard driving.
The album opens with Valentine and in a fashion that sets the scene, in terms of depth, for what is to follow and that is the dynamic, tuneful bass line and thudding percussion propelling the song before the beautifully blended harmony vocals come in. There is often a chopping electric guitar tone in the background bringing a powerful sense of drama to an incredibly melodic yet dramatic song that eventually takes off with distorted guitar before falling back to the beautiful harmonies and up front bass line on a song that however many times you listen to it never loses its dramatic, melodic intensity. I'd start a war for you has an unusual keyboard sound again with choppy guitar, thudding bass and percussion leading to Felix's untreated but none the less spooky vocal that fits perfectly in the arrangement of this dramatic tale, with the harmonies coming in to add the uplifting icing and deepen the drama. At times, as with many of the band's songs there is a vague memory of early 1970s 'prog rock' but however much the listener disliked that much vilified genre it will actually heighten the pleasure of this tremendous recording. I doubt that anyone involved in the recording had prog rock on their mind, particularly as the album is so rooted in the deep spookiness of 'old dark country' with more than a dash of swampy bluesiness. Yes, I know; it's difficult to imagine that blend but that's what this uniquely talented band brings to their music! There is a very slow gentle fade in of beautifully haunting guitar (a la Ry Cooder perhaps?) on Kathleen, with a keyboard tone in the background leading to a haunting piano sound and the ubiquitous but essential throbbing bass and percussion that, as i've already said, is part and parcel of this bands signature sound, leading to Felix's atmospherically haunting vocal. As the vocal builds in intensity the harmonies come in, giving the song even more depth and power on this beautiful, if unusually arranged 'ballad' that lets the listener know that really, when dealing with Curse of Lono none of these generic terms mean too much, it is more a question of the 'generic atmosphere.' Final mention is of Tell me about your love, with its gentle, yet choppy guitar and percussion intro leading to Felix's vocal with the deep throbbing bass gradually propelling itself into the mix and a hauntingly melodic guitar in the background coming to the fore on another deep, haunting tale.
This is music that is incredibly nuanced and has great depth, often including a pervasive darkness whilst at the same time having a lovely wrap around warmth. A strange contrast I know but the upshot of this is that however many times the album is listened to there is always something else that springs to the listener's attention and perhaps alters the perspective a little. The foregoing may seem rather convoluted, in fact it is, but this album has so much depth and is so nuanced that, having now listened to it dozens of time, there are still revelations that I hadn't picked up on before. There are very few, if any, other albums that you can say or write that about. Long may this talented band continue to plough their country, prog, blues, rock, swampy furrow!
https://www.curseoflonoband.com/