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A
few months ago I bumped into Signal Lost’s debut album
Children of the Wasteland at a record store. The price tag
was under $5, so I didn’t hesitate to pull out my languid
wallet. I had had Prosthetic Screams sitting on top of my
stereo for a couple of weeks, a couple of spins had confirmed
its quality, the cover artwork had me titillating, but for some
reason I just couldn’t bring myself to write the review just
yet.
After revising Children of the Wasteland for two
spins I couldn’t help but feel a bit of disappointment. I was
expecting more. In hindsight, it lacks the immediacy, the hooks,
the melodies and the pure punk friendly but not pussified
attitude of Prosthetic Screams. Signal Lost’s sophomore
effort has been on repeat all afternoon now, and I can’t get it
out of my head. The record is divided in two sides; as the CD
is presented Side A opens with “Blurry Vision” a scorching
screamer of rapid fire lines and rapider enticements. “Terminal”
is hardened pop. Had Kim Wilde been born a decade later and been
raised a true punk rocker, she would have penned this one.
Signal Lost
is a co-ed quartet that hails from Austin, TX. They’ve been
together since 2003 and with their latest recording have found a
perfect mix of punk rock attitude, crunchy guitars and hooks.
The band makes constant mention of a new wave influence. This is
mostly obvious in some cuts like “Terminal” where the easiness
and accessibility of the melodies could make good use of 80’s
keyboards in exchange for the guitars of Stan, who by the way is
a master of subtlety in his own right. To top off their
compositions, vocalist Ashley rules the record not only with
attitude but with a perfectly pitched and controlled delivery,
she is like the missing link between good punk and macho-less
hardcore.
Comparing Children of the Wasteland to
Prosthetic Screams is like comparing apples and oranges;
they are both edible, sweet and healthy fruit, but they are
quite different at the same time. Like Prank Records wisely
asserts, Signal Lost is the exact band for those who miss the
sounds of The Wipers and The Avengers. Good stuff all around.
MySpace
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