In the 7 years since Refused broke up, Denis Lyxzen couldn’t be further away from his hardcore roots. While The (International) Noise Conspiracy carried on the message, it was his personal side project of The Lost Patrol in which we saw a different side to the Scandinavian frontman. While the original album centered on love songs on the forlorn and somber side, this S/T follow up is thankfully far more upbeat and certainly a step in the right direction. And while it isn’t the finished article, it certainly shows more promise than the debut LP.
Minus a couple of rare gems, the original didn’t sit well with me and for the want of a better word, it was dull. It did little to ignite the imagination and simply whimpered on for half an hour. It may have been a personal release for Lyxzen, but for others it was a damp squib. But the tide has turned and something has changed as the pace has picked up along with the energy, and with a more ‘power pop’ (Self-labeled I may add) attitude comes a heftier stab at gaining more of the limelight.
As with ‘Songs About Running Away’ all the trademarks are there, including some poetic harmonies that complement the song subject well along with the gentle lead vocals, and thankfully all feature prominently within the bouncy opener ‘Feels like Drowning’. It proves a sign of things to come as similar efforts such as ‘Golden Times’ and ‘My Heart is Still a Mess’ prove tight and lighthearted compared to other bands doing similar things on a similar subject. It generally follows a similar pattern throughout the ten tracks, with the rock and roll ‘Hanging On’ standing out from the crowd, but ultimately there is something missing once again to make the album worthy of purchase.
Once again the topics are the same, as are the gentle melodies albeit a bit more upbeat but the Lost Patrol Band aren’t quite good enough at the moment. It isn’t a bad album, but neither is it a good one. And until Denis find the missing piece of the jigsaw, it is going to be difficult to claw The Lost Patrol out from the realms of mediocrity anytime soon.
Jay
Burning Heart Records