Lounge Act Jam take listeners on a lo-fi journey through delicacy and distortion alike with this latest project. Combining the ambiance of jazz-cafe vibes with a slightly more industrial, trip-hop and even grunge-like edge, Diabolical makes for a uniquely interesting and easily enjoyable way to spend an hour. Be it the backdrop to your day, or something to add a little depth of thought, a fine balance between optimism and melancholy, the playlist works well.
Pluto Waits For Nothing kicks things off and is all of this and more. A track that utilizes contrast brilliantly, the soundscape slowly but surely envelops you, offering entrancing rhythms and unpredictable instances of chaos alongside those that quickly calm. Idea Of Me afterwards leads with a notably raw acoustic style, a gentle vocal pours intriguing lyrics into the mix, and all the while this feels like an intimate moment captured in time – a live performance, right there in the room with you. Whatever your mind assumes from the opening track, the album proceeds to reinvent itself, but still there are these threads that connect everything and help make the journey in full where the real value lies.
Experimental music is often the most fascinating to listen to – particularly when its done with such clear musical awareness and understanding. This album is eclectic enough to hold your interest, but it’s also increasingly emotional and a pleasure to connect with and escape amidst for an hour or so. Afterparty drives with that new familiarity but offers a notably upbeat, hopeful sound that integrates well at this point.
Lounge Act Jam is a notably artistic project that promises and delivers considerate, creatively unique soundscapes and poetic writing that’s genuinely refreshing to witness. Instances of trip hop are contrasted by those that feel a little more folk-pop or even RnB-like (Violent Love is a good example of the latter). Meanwhile, the guitar work and the artist’s leading voice start to build a definite sense of recognizable identity.
Memories (In My Head) mellows things out with a quiet grunge vibe yet a soulful delivery and a simple but beautiful melody-line. The minimalist nature of this one lets the words and the emotion of the voice reach out well – there’s something fairly addictive about the sound, an unexpected highlight.
Seeing the project step away from reverb and fuzz, the live version of Dwell (Rest Your Soul) emerges with a likable sense of realness and vulnerability. The live sound works well, it’s showcased elsewhere but this particularly natural setting lets the authenticity shine all the more brightly. Pleasant guitar work and pondering lyrics work well to engage the listener.
Adding a layer of joy and possibility towards the end of the album is the song Hanging In The Air (In Your Dreams You Could Breathe Again) – a complex structure yet a simple set-up help artistically underline the song’s sentiments in a beautiful way. Live Through Spring afterwards takes the shoe-gaze-style, reverb-soaked presentation to the limit and fills the room with a dreamlike, choir-like aura, and some gorgeously calming guitar work.
Destiny Paradise! brings the album to a close with gentle yet expressive acoustic guitar playing and a simple yet effective melody that’s quickly memorable. A strong bit of songwriting and a worthy way to finish what is a genuinely interesting, enjoyable, and consistently authentic collection of original songs. The realness makes for a rather blissful bit of escapism as the album in full plays out. There’s always room for this kind of purity in music, especially when it’s been so honestly and passionately crafted.
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