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Recording:
  Lorna  
 
Artists:
  Lorna  
 
Label:
  self-released  
 
Release Date:
  late spring of 2003  
 
Reviewed by:
  PostLibyan  
         
 
Rating:
   
         
 
Review:
 

I first became aware of Lorna a few years back, when someone pointed me to their page at MP3.com. Of course, this was back in the day when artists would fill an MP3.com which dozens of songs. So i listened to a suggested track, and liked it so much i downloaded all of the avaialble songs, and i think there were like 20 of them. And i liked them so much i pointed Mrs. Malimus at the site, and she downloaded and enjoyed them, while Malimus somewhat grumpily (as is his way) listened along.

The thing is, at that time Lorna was a one-man band sort of thing. Some of the songs were electronic, some were folky, some featured a female vocalist, some were purely instrumental. Most were catchy and interesting.

Since then, Lorna has evolved, and now is a full-fledged band. Mr. Rolfe, leader of all things Lorna, sings and plays guitar and still writes the bulk of the songs (i think), but now the project has expanded from a bedroom recording act into a real pop band.

And a damned fine one too. Rolfe has an ear for melody, and he has built his band such that it is able to craft delicate melodies and soaring harmonies. The music is light and delicate and amazingly beautiful. Comparisons that spring to mind are Red House Painters, The Clairvoyants, and Songs: Ohia. Good stuff surely. And this is the first release by the new band, Lorna. It contains 8 tracks of bittersweet harmonies. Very nice stuff. A few of the tracks standout, so let me discuss them briefly.

The second track on the album, Sundown Bay, is, in all honesty, breath-takingly beautiful. It starts slowly with just Rolfe's voice and piano, until eventually co-vocalist Sharon Cohen joins in. Light horns and xylophone underlay their duet, and the song meanders along dreamily for a few minutes. Until, suddenly, bassist James Allen sings alongside Rolfe, their two voices not in tune and not meant to be, slightly discordant and vaguely harmonious. Allen's voice adds a level of harshness to the song that really works. And of course it reminds me of the Gilmour/Waters duets off of The Final Cut. Very nicely done.

For Hours Light is a different sort of tune for Lorna, in that it rocks. The drummer cuts loose with an unstoppable little rhythm that really propels the song along, as Rolfe and Cohen sing in harmony. This tune is immediately followed with Notes From a Generator, which is a slow song of voice, tremolo, and horns. Very slow and very beautiful.

In general, this is a very well done work. And the wierd thing is: it's free. You see, i'm on a mailing list with Mr. Rolfe, and he is somewhat bitter that the band are currently having difficulty getting signed to a label. So, Lorna is giving away a CD for free, to anyone who wants to take the trouble to write to them. (The adress is givemerecords@lornamusic.co.uk.)

Which is a cool publicity stunt for them, and the chance for you to get some cool music for free. For the price, this is a no-brainer. Good pop music, well done and well recorded, for free. How can you lose?

 
         
 
Related Links:
 

Order this album at givemerecords@lornamusic.co.uk.

 
         

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