Part of me still doesn’t wanna like Lotus‘ new material. The Lotus I fell in love with was such a gentle & calming presence and their early, more atmospheric material is still my favorite (Escaping Sargasso Sea is one of my favorite albums of all-time). But as much as I or anyone else wants to hear them write another “Umbilical Moonrise” or “Sunrain,” it just isn’t gonna happen. Yet, at the same time, I find myself more & more into Lotus’ recent studio work. Unlike their jamband counterparts, their studio work is actually really fun to listen to in headphones. It’s not just some base level for the live performance to jump from, it’s a music experience that stands on its own merit.
Build continues in the same direction as their previous self-titled album but pushes the envelope even more. What’s funny about this album is that while there are a handful of tracks that aren’t outstanding and really blend together, the album as a whole unit is fantastic. A ‘sum is greater than its parts’ situation. This is a cohesive collection of tracks that stays on the theme and hammers it home. This is by far their most bold, energetic, and aggressive studio work — a dance-upon-prog-rock work of art. It feels like many of the songs are almost an offshoot of the track “Blacklight Sunflare” from the previous album, so if you liked that song, you will love this album.
While a number of the songs somewhat muddle together, this album never finds a dull area, it’s always in a dance/rage zone as opposed to some sort of mindspace. From start to finish, this is an entertaining album that grows on me with each listen. But after all these spins, there are three tracks that leap over the rest. “Neon Tubes I” has a little taste of those old school atmospherics but with a funky bent & accelerated pace. The second part of this song goes off the electro deep end, yet that doesn’t take away from the comfort of the first. Then there’s “What Did I Do Wrong?” which is Mike Rempel’s unquestioned bustout song. It builds through funky organs and some slick horn samples on its way to finding the guitar peak of the album when Rempel goes ape on a huge solo. Then there’s the true gem, the song that stands out above even the standouts: “Middle Road,” a.k.a. my new favorite ‘new generation’ Lotus track. Talk about funky, this song finds a groove deeper than any song they’ve written in years. It uses vocal sample as well as any Lotus song ever has, plus it’s got phenomenal hand-drum work from Chuck Morris, bright funk chords from Rempel, and a filthy bass guitar line from Jesse Miller. This track goes out to all the old school Lotus heads, it’s pure throwback material.
Lotus’ studio work has continued to demonstrate a top shelf level of production that is often times lacking in the jam-festival circuit. Studio work often seems like ‘something we have to do’ from many bands of this ilk, but with Lotus it just doesn’t feel that way at all. Their studio efforts — especially the last two — have been extremely polished works with listening rotation staying power. It’s not often I find myself with a craving for a jamband’s studio work, but Lotus has introduced this feeling to me and I love it.