Former Band of Horses guitarist goes in search of himself in a thought-provoking new album, that is sometimes too bleak for its own good.
Ex - lead guitarist with Band of Horses, Tyler Ramsey has put together a new 10 track LP. ‘New Lost Ages’ continues his sonic quest across landscapes of folk, rock and indie with flavours of Americana.
The album was recorded at the legendary Avast! Recording Co. in Seattle, Washington, by storied producer Phil Ek (Fleet Foxes, Father John Misty, The Shins, Built to Spill).
The album feels as though it’s a concept work where the protagonist downs tools and heads into nature to seek solitude, solace and healing.
‘These Ghosts’ lulls you into a false sense of security with its driving pop-rock, but our eventual destination on this voyage of self-discovery is far bleaker.
There’s songs that acknowledge the past and songs that look forward but this is the road less traveled after all and we are in no hurry. The brilliant ‘Fires’ illustrates this perfectly with its undulating rhythms akin to riding on a Greyhound as our protagonist daydreams as the world flashes by.
Despite its indie pop lilt, the title track is a mournful commentary on this world where Tyler posits the question “do you want to live forever in a world like this?”
The melodies are almost hypnotic as they fall away to the poetic lyrics that are at the heart of the LP, but sometimes it's a little too bleak for its own good. However, this mid-tempo album requires the patience to slow down and listen and in this crazy world that's no bad thing.