Maquiladora
White Sands
Lotushouse
A multi-instrumental menagerie of sound and song. Substance out of atmosphere, and tunes that touch the soul. The Tom Waitsian drawl of “Julian” makes me grin, as it rasps over minimal rhythm and melodic but broken keys. The appearance of my favorite black heart, Pall Jenkins, creates a procession along the horizon of some distant land. Mournful saw bleeding into the mix. Hints of Eric Bachmann in the vocals, road weary and waiting for the next exit sign on the highway. Some songs remind me in their drifting of bands such as Scenic or Lanterna, but more liquid-touched than sand-swept. Then again, that stuck-in-a-barn-full-of-homemade-instruments sound of Mr. Waits breaks through (“what’s he building in there…”) but this isn’t Tom, it’s the stumbling, lost in the desert wanderer, searching for a home. The music, at least, has found one here.
Lotushouse, 4636 1/2 Lotus St, San Diego, CA 92107; http://www.lotushouserecords.com
