A must-have for any LOST fan
by
Dharma Lady
In just reading through the track titles on Sonic Weapon Fence’s debut album, a fan of the television show LOST should be instantly delighted, as I was, to see songs about Ben Linus, Martin Keamy, and Walt Dawson. SWF also treats us to songs about The Others’ lifestyle (“Mixed Signals”), Charlotte Staples Lewis (“The Redheaded Stranger”), and the incredibly annoying character flaw that is Kate’s flip-flopping love pentagon (“Kate + No One 4 Eva!”).
Lyrically, the band has smartly written from different perspectives, including that of the show’s casting director (“Billy D.”), Daniel Faraday (“The Redheaded Stranger”), and a fan watching the show and getting completely lost – pun intended (“Helping Hand”). The songs are certainly fun and quick, perhaps with the exception of “Elegy For Michael,” an instrumental half-track devoted to Michael Dawson’s endlessly sad efforts to reunite with his son. But the benefits are so much greater when attention is paid to the lyrics. SWF have tailor-made jokes seamlessly intertwined in their songs, and the same attention LOST fans bring to the show should be applied to this record – it does not disappoint.
Highlights of the album include “Mixed Signals” – no doubt the sing-along track on the album. Lyrically drawing from Juliet’s nonchalant comment that it’s very stressful being an Other, the song is a LOST fan’s dream come true. In terms of the music itself, the final minute or so of the song, with the guitar solo and build-up to the key change bring such fun and excitement to the song that I want to listen to this song endlessly on repeat.
In “Quite Unseemly, Keamy,” with more of a dance-punk sound, the stinging guitar riff works together so brilliantly with yet another unique synth keyboard sound to create a tremendous texture. The drums on this track stand out for me, too – the change from the snare hits to the big crashes on every beat in the last verse bring the whole tune to a heightened state before the intense and unexpected lyric “Challenge your pre-conceived notions about GOOD AND EVIL!!” to end the track, before heading right in to “Helping Hand” with merely a beat separating the tracks.
A must-have for any LOST fan that enjoys undeniably catchy pop-rock hooks and smart, insightful observations about the show, its characters, and its expanded universe.
