Lost In America

Album Review

It is always a shame when a band releases one major label album and then is never heard from again. Such is the story of Pittsburgh, PA's The Gathering Field. Their 1996 debut Lost in America came and went unnoticed. Sadly, it was prophetically titled. The band actually got lost in the wake of a more successful rock band also on Atlantic Records, matchbox20. The The Gathering Field was musically similar to Train and vocally close to Ireland's The Devlins. The real strength of the band was especially evident on Lost in America; smart, soulful lyrics surrounded by a heartbreaking, Americana sound. The title track was equal parts Raymond Carver and Jack Kerouac. The Gathering Field had wonderful melodies and harmonies. Fans of Train's "Drops of Jupiter" will especially like "Lost in America." "Rhapsody in Blue" should have been on thousands of mix tapes made by high school girls in the midwest, with its world-wise take on sentimentality. Lost in America had a laid-back, traditonal American rock sound similar to Allgood (but less bluesy), The Samples (but more diverse), and Counting Crows (but less tortured). It was, perhaps, the most profoundly emotional release of 1996. If you like jam bands, melodic rock and roll, and Americana, this album will not disappoint. It is the kind of find that will make you question who runs the record labels and radio stations.