Mysterious and spooky…Not the Addams Family, but The Lost Poets, from Stockholm, whose USPÂ appears to be making very powerful music, yet remaining anonymous behind masks, and dressing in black tie and top hats.
So far as USPs go, it works.
Sounding a lot like what Pearl Jam would if they had David Bowie as their lead singer, the duo comprises David Rosengren on Vocals, Guitars, Piano, and Mandolin, with Petter Strömberg on Drums, Bass and Piano.
‘Insubordia II’ is the follow up to the band’s previous release, the EP ‘Insubordia’, which came out in 2014. Along with the single, ‘Mouth’, the duo became highly sought after, and their music received rave reviews on an international scale. The Lost Poets feature in Dolph Lundgren’s upcoming feature film, ‘Without You I’m Nothing’, and in December last year they opened for Volto (the band formed by Tool’s drummer, Danny Carey) at The Viper Room, Sunset Strip, LA.
Now back in Sweden, The Lost Poets are working on a short film, ‘Tales From Insubordia’, and a children’s book – ‘The Lost Poets’….showing many more strings to their already intriguing bow.
‘Insubordia II’ is a sombre, grungy, crunchy album. The Lost Poets describe their music as Rock, Swamp Blues/Grunge, Sludge, Acoustic, but they swap and change across genres so often that it’s impossible to categorise them into one style. Which doesn’t mean their music lacks appeal – quite the contrary, ‘Insubordia II’ is a very compelling album, full of strong guitars and heavy drums. Eighth song of the ten track album, ‘1000 MPH’ begins with a very mellow guitar, and the vocals are quite beautiful, as they keep in perfect harmony with the piano, and later as they soar in time with the guitar and drums. There’s a whole lot to love about this album, and it’s probably best heard through headphones, in order to pick up the individual nuances – there’s a lot of left and right ear sound differentiation that can be missed when listening through speakers.
‘As Long As I Am Conscious And Clear In My Mind’ sends chills down the spine as vocalist David Rosengren perfectly channels David Bowie circa 1971, and his ‘Hunky Dory’ album. It’s this song which is our favourite on the album – it’s a really well constructed piece, conveying the considerable musical talents of the duo. It’s no wonder they’re so much in demand.
The lead single from the album, ‘Danny Electro’, is possibly the grungiest of all the songs on the album, and sounds like it’s been teleported from 80s Seattle, rather than modern day Sweden. But that’s just what The Lost Poets seem to be about – keeping us on our toes, not knowing which way to look, not knowing what style they’ll choose to emulate – even pay homage to – next.
You can find The Lost Poets online on their website, Twitter, Facebook, Instagram, Soundcloud, and Youtube. Buy ‘Insubordia II’ and their previous EP ‘Insubordia’, as well as their single, ‘Mouth’, from The Lost Poet’s Bandcamp page.
