Hauntingly Beautiful Tunes from Son Lux [free Mp3]

All The Right Things – Son Lux

This past February, Ryan Lott, the sole member of Son Lux (@sonlux), stepped up to The Wire’s challenge to write and record an album in only one month — a fairly drastic change from the four-year span required on his ‘08 debut At War with Walls and Mazes. For a release produced in such a short time, We Are Rising is remarkably creative and hauntingly beautiful. The album features ghostly tracks, big hooks, and enough synth to re-create the 80’s.

“Leave the Riches”, a standout song and one seemingly designed for mysterious strolls in the rain, features an antique-sounding static effect, while reverb heavy guitar echoes through a cluttering of surreal sounds. The most impressive track on the album, though, is “Flickers”, which includes a calm yet unsettling intro built upon faint operatic female vocals. Echoes and overlays of Lott’s own voice follow him throughout the song, accompanied by twinkling bells and a steady drum to provide a semblance of structure.

The true beauty of this album is the sheer spontaneity it demonstrates – each song provides a new experience and surprise. There’s no worry of a lulling monotony, as new sounds are added and removed continuously allowing the album to soar along. We Are Rising, the most creative and insanely complex effort of 2011, should be listened to often, if only to figure out exactly what is going on.