Lotus Dog - Lotus Dog (Ursa Minor)

Just what is a Lotus Dog and, quite frankly, who cares? At this point in time, probably very few people, but if roctronic, psychedelic groove-laden tracks that bend and twist more than a meandering river are your thing, then a Lotus Dog is something you might just find yourself enjoying and tripping the light fantastic with in the very foreseeable future. Wonderfully produced by vocalist Jolie's brother TSO (Moon Theory), the bizarre mind warp that is 'Momentary' gives way to the wrap-around psychedelia of 'High & low', drawing the listener in deeper and deeper to an album that you can't help but make sense of. Subtle, yet well-defined tunes fade in/out around soothing vocals throughout the duration. Jolie caresses your senses and kisses your nerve-endings, before her dream turns dark with the war zone sampled angsty, agitated, sad and defeated vocal of 'Shadow'.

'Stand or fall' brings on a Madonna, circa 'Frozen', performance. TSO's William Orbit style production/atmosphere creation lends to this feel, while the skeletal piano and bass accompaniment tie together the bare bones, giving a unique haunting charm. Elsewhere, 'Breathe' grooves along on a pulsing bass line that complements Jolie's attention-grabbing performance. About half way through, though, it breaks into a rap and spoken word passage that destroys the run and feel of the song completely, turning what would otherwise be a stellar single into nothing more than a fairly decent album track. 'Centuries' once again lifts the tempo with its mystical Madonna, lost in a beat-laden, electronica jungle by taking firm hold of your hand and pulling you into a Technicolor vision.

Closer and, probably one of the only songs on the album to follow a traditional song structure, 'Indivisible Love' is a poor ending to an otherwise interesting effort. This is proof that Lotus Dog are ones who should follow their own instincts and not rely on what has gone before them. When they attempt to write a regular song, it fails, but when doing something that is beyond the bland and beyond the norm they are able to create songs that brim with charm and newness.

Ken McGrath