Great Lake Swimmers: Lost Channels (2009)

New Wax


Great Lake Swimmers' 2007 release Ongiara was one of those albums that slowly revealed its beauty to me. Each listen unearthed overlooked subtleties and the album grew into a personal favorite. Now the Toronto-based folk band is back with a brand new collection of songs entitled Lost Channels. Principle songwriter Tony Dekker and company recorded the album in a variety of locations in and around the Thousand Islands, including Singer Castle in Hammond, New York and St. Brendans Church in Rockport, Ontario. You can almost hear the centuries-old ghosts of these buildings crackling and creaking in the background of these songs. Dekker's thin yet emotive vocals blend in seamlessly with his backing band's mostly-subdued arrangements and Lost Channels' spot-on production lends haunting texture to the material. Still, there are some pleasant surprises on the front-end of the album. "Palmistry," "Pulling On A Line," and "She Comes To Me In Dreams" might be the catchiest songs the band's ever recorded. When the copper timbre of Dekker's voice is backed by booming drums, pedal steel, and backup female harmonies, there are moments when the band sounds as much like old R.E.M than they do a contemporary folk outfit. By the time Lost Channels plays through its entirety, you'll have the urge to listen all over again in hopes of uncovering more of the secrets etched in its tapestry. -- Capt. Obvious

Listen:
MP3: Great Lake Swimmers - Palmistry
MP3: Great Lake Swimmers - Pulling On A Line

Tags: Great Lake Swimmers, Lost Channels, Review