Lost Valentinos - Cities of Gold (Album)
» Lost Valentinos announce national tour - July 29, 2009
» Lost Valentinos - Jive, SA - August 27, 2009
» Lost Valentinos - Roxanne, VIC - August 16, 2009
» Lost Valentinos - Don't Try This at Home - September 12, 2007
Lost Valentinos are an impressive bunch – they’ve worked with big names and made a name for themself over the past few years. A formidable live band, the Sydney quartet rarely disappoint on stage with their dark and very engaging presence. They’ve played big festivals and toured with the likes of Datarock, Soulwax and Van She – which gives a little (little) indication to their sounds if you don’t already know them. The plural, sounds, is necessary here, because Lost Valentinos don’t fit smoothly into any one hole and their debut album, Cities of Gold, demonstrates this very well.
Electro popstars at heart, Lost Valentinos couldn’t have picked a better time to release Cities of Gold. The heavyweights of the style are off the scene at the moment and a decent indie dance record was needed. On Cities of Gold, LV deliver that very record. As the album’s title might hint, the band are up to some mysterious stuff here and the influence of ancient cultures and the like comes through. Kind of weird, given the electronic base.
The moody dance track Midnights opens the record and is familiar with its live being. The darkness (so to speak) takes a subtle 180 turn though as the band take to their more optimistic side on The City of Gold, which enters a somewhat repetitive state but is saved by its short track time. The positive energy continues into Serio – another bright track that shows LV in their element.
As the album progresses, so does LV’s sound. The vocoder makes its expected appearance on The Bismarck, as the album slowly veers into the band’s preferred shadowy side. “I’ve got a little something I think will help you change your mood,” sings Nik Yiannikas and frankly, it’s hard to disagree. Thief is a heavier addition that translates its energy well in recorded form, whilst Between the Squalls completely contrasts the heavier side as it ditches the vocals and enters more wild, experimental territory.
Saving the best for last (or second last, at least), the stand out of Cities of Gold comes with Great Leap Forward, which very craftily builds to a wailing climax that even the most pessimistic of listeners couldn’t raise their ear to. The song is an epic way to round out the album.
Cities of Gold isn’t really a record you can listen to anywhere, anytime; it has a time and place, most likely in the wee hours of the night. What you might have heard on the radio is a good reflection of the sound, though collectively it does seem to be a lot more engaging then taking the tracks apart. The wait seems to have been worth it with this one.
