Medallion [LP]

by Brent Knopf, Lost Lander

Overview

A heartfelt and honest audio treatise on life, loss, love, and death that you can kind of dance to, the second studio album from Portland, Oregon's Lost Lander is also their first outing as a proper band. Released in 2012, DRRT was largely a two-man affair, with songwriter and full-time Pacific Northwest forester Matt Sheehy providing the tunes and Brent Knopf of Menomena handling production duties. This time around, Sheehy is joined by Sarah Fennell (keyboards), Patrick Hughes (drums), and William Seiji Marsh (bass), with Knopf once again providing technical wizardry, and the ensuing 11-track Medallion is the group's strongest outing yet, skillfully pairing effervescent electro-kissed indie pop with evocative, loop-driven ambient folk, resulting in something that falls somewhere between Gotye, Passion Pit, and Crooked Fingers. Knopf's clean, crisp production lends Medallion an air of late-'80s AOR pop that pairs nicely with Sheehy's rich vocals, and the band follows suit, providing a tight backdrop for Sheehy's emotionally charged lyrics. Inspired by the death of his mother and the dissolution of his impending nuptials, Medallion could have been a real drag, but it's tempered with wisdom and acceptance, as well as the softness of finding new love amidst the ruins of the old. It's also lovely melodically, with some real blissful pop moments arriving via standout cuts like "Walking on a Wire," the soulful "Give It Time," and the elegiac closer "Alpine Street," none of which fall victim to despair, yet retain a certain level of melancholy that feels approachable, not pitiful. ~ James Christopher Monger

Product Details

Release Date:	02/24/2015
Label:	GLAD I DID RECORDING
UPC:	0789577738102

Tracks

1. Pre
2. Gemini
3. Flinch
4. Walking on a Wire
5. Feed the Fever
6. Give It Time
7. Sunburns
8. Never Go Easy
9. Trailer Tracks
10. Crush
11. Alpine Street

Album Credits

Performance Credits

Lost Lander   Primary Artist
Brent Knopf   Primary Artist
Dana Jenssen   Drums,Guest Artist
Shana Sheehy   Vocals,Guest Artist
Peter Condra   Guitar,Guest Artist
Luke Price   Strings,Guest Artist
William Seiji Marsh   Guitar,Guest Artist
Scott McGee   Drums
Drew Shoals   Guest Artist,Drums
Sam Howard   Guest Artist,Bass
Dave Depper   Bass,Guest Artist
Kelly Pratt   Brass,Guest Artist
Dana Janssen   Drums
Scott Magee   Drums,Guest Artist
Kaki King   Guitar,Guest Artist

Technical Credits

Patrick Hughes   Group Member
Brendan Coughlin   Photography
John Askew   Engineer
Sarah Fennell   Group Member
Stefan Nadelman   Cover Art
Dave Lowensohn   Group Member
Zach Stamler   Editing
Tim Shrout   Assistant Engineer
Jeff Salzman   Mixing
Brent Knopf   Producer,Engineer
Matt Sheehy   Group Member,Engineer,Composer
Jeff Stuart Saltzman   Mixing
William Anthony   Photography
Ashod Simonian   Design