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 Caught in the Carousel - Music Reviews and More
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Abney Park
Lost Horizons
Independent
Two words: Industrial. Steampunk. Seriously, what's not to love?
For anyone unfamiliar with the term, steampunk is widely described as an artistic genre found in art, music, and fiction where the work is set in an anachronistic, steam-powered, 19th century world. Think of Jules Verne, Nikola Tesla, dirigibles, brass cogs, clockwork machines, and basement laboratories, and you begin to get a sense of the detail. Some also view steampunk as a social and political movement, but let's not exceed our scope.
Back to Lost Horizons and the continuing adventures of Abney Park.
Based in Seattle, Abney Park has been entertaining its fans since the late 90s with elaborate stage shows and a unique musical blend of industrial, trip-hop, world, and dance-pop. Lost Horizons is Abney Park's fifth major release, and this time around they've written a concept CD adapted from the 1933 adventure novel by James Hilton, complete with airship pirates, mysterious legends, exotic lands, and Shangri-la.
The obvious top single from the CD is "Airship Pirate," judging from the number of YouTube videos of that song, and it's a fabulous tune to start off the CD. Rollicking and captivating, "Airship Pirate" drops you into the heart of an adventure that sails through North Africa, Persia, Spain, and beyond. Lost Horizons isn't a total dance-rave craze, however—"Sleep Isabella" and "She" are hypnotic and dreamy, and "I am Stretched on Your Grave" is a lament. "Post-Apocalypse Punk" bounces right back, and don't miss the bonus-track, "The Ballad of Captain Robert."
Lost Horizons is the aural equivalent to a Saturday adventure matinee. Bring popcorn.
—Lyn Dunagan
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