The Rembrandts
Lost Together
Atenzia
Some musicians were quite obviously born to pool their talents: Lennon and McCartney, Bacharach and David, Simon and Garfunkel, Rob Pilatus and Fabrice Morvan of Milli Vanilli. Well, scrub that last one, but you get the idea.
Another pair of names to add to such a distinguished list of duos is Danny Wilde and Phil Solemn of the Rembrandts, possibly two of the most prolific yet underrated singer-songwriters in music history. With a history of collaborations that goes back over a decade to the band Great Buildings, as well as numerous wonderful pop-rock songs to their name, it is a shame that the Rembrandts are most renowned for composing the theme tune to Friends. Hopefully, their appropriately-named fourth album Lost Together will garnering proper recognition of their immense talent.
Reunited after a brief hiatus, Lost Together finds Wilde and Solemn in fine form (possibly even the best of their long career), with 13 immediately recognizable Rembrandts tunes. As the opening title track proves, those familiar, delectable melodies and perfect harmonies still resonate clearly, and that instinctive musical chemistry still remains.
True enough, there’s no “I’ll Be There For You” smash-hit waiting to happen here, but that can be considered a blessing. Tunes like “St Paul,” “One Of Us” and “Buddy Jo” have immediate yet gently persuasive refrains designed to be slowly savored instead of battered into submission by incessant radio play. “You Are The One” is a sparse, delicate acoustic ballad, while “The Way She Smiles” is a bright, simple tune delivered in typical Rembrandts style.
Among this collection of gems, perhaps the gritty, blue collar feel of “Another Day Down,” the energetic swagger of “Some Other World” and the heartfelt tale of unrequited love in “I’m In Love” shine the brightest, but there’s so much quality on Lost Together, it’s a difficult decision.
It’s a real pleasure to see such a musical force return with such a wonderful album. Yet, the last word on their reunion appropriately belongs to the indefatigable duo themselves, on closing track “Happiness:” “When I think of all those heartaches / It amazes me no end / We could rise to this occasion / Find our happiness again.”
Atenzia Records: http://www.atenzia.com • The Rembrandts: http://www.therembrandts.com
