2024 sees the return of the impressive Finnish outfit, Lighthouse Sparrows. I reviewed their Aerials album a couple of years ago, and you can read my review by clicking on the button aside.
They return in early 2024 with another EP (Aerials is their only full-length release thus far), Dark Matter (Alpha). A Beta release is anticipated later this year.
Theirs is a welcome return. Olli Huhtanen and Sami Sarhamaa are a very talented duo, and there are four tracks on this. You can listen to it all and purchase their wares at https://lighthousesparrows.bandcamp.com/album/dark-matter-alpha Certainly, I would recommend it.
We open with Phases, the longest song at eight and a half minutes. I have embedded this titanic track below. What is immediately noticeable is the thoroughly modern take on some of the grittier and at times industrial progressive rock, interspersed with some gorgeously pastoral passages featuring some lovely backing vocals which provide harmonies by Ella Eriksson (Huhtanen’s daughter, who featured on Aerials) and Valtteri Tuominen. Drum duties are again provided by the very solid Miri Miettinen. Lyrically, it references quantum theory, to most of us an utterly impenetrable mass of particle physics relating to life, the universe, and everything (a minute out from the end, when you think the track has finished, there is another phase, the same but different, and it is cleverly done). As with Aerials, the band here demonstrate to us the sheer diversity of their music, and lyrically combining themes with the human condition. Just short of five minutes in, there is a gorgeous segment relating to mistakes and strengths inherent in us with some aching voices and keyboards, before the guitar solo simply takes the breath away. I have no doubt at all that this will figure prominently in my end of 2024 discussions on the website.
Pale Waters follows and starts with what should be bleak noises, but to these ears sound rather soothing, an interesting short slab of electronic led progressive rock which references the need to face fears and situations, avoiding futile anger (much needed in modern society). Some of the programming, especially the flute noises, is pretty, but you do really sit up when the wailing guitar takes charge at the denouement in a passage which ends a track, I think is regrettably shorter than it could have been.
Better Before follows and is introspective, discussing how just everything was better before, those old days where rose tinted glasses mislead us into a false sense of nostalgia. There is nothing retro about the music, though, its gorgeous bass melody, a couple of nice piano solos, very well produced sound effects, and some lovely chords and voices combining to provide a soundscape which nods to the past but is firmly rooted in the now. It is embedded below.
We close with Soil. It is immediately sparser than the preceding music with thumping single drum beat and accompanying key, the voice almost yearning talking about weightless dreams and underground music. The guitar solo when it arrives is short, but plaintive, and as the track develops, we have an interesting classic rock riff and an electronic pop/rock mix, combining classic rock with Numanesque synths, and it is very effective. The vocals on this show a more emotional side and it is a very strong conclusion.
I thought Aerials was excellent. I think this EP moves the band forward again, sonically, and lyrically. Deeply intelligent rock music which really does defy simplistic “genre” description, I cannot recommend them highly enough.
Bring on the Beta!
