In just reading through the track titles on Sonic Weapon Fence’s debut album, a fan of the television show LOST should be instantly delighted, as I was, to see songs about Ben Linus, Martin Keamy, and Walt Dawson.  SWF also treat us to songs about The Others’ lifestyle (“Mixed Signals”), Charlotte Staples Lewis (“The Redheaded Stranger”), and the incredibly annoying character flaw that is Kate’s flip-flopping love pentagon (“Kate + No One 4 Eva!”).

Each song on this record has a unique style and sound different from every other song on the record – there’s almost no mistaking one track for another here.  Having drawn inspiration from different musical genres and created completely different textures on each and every track (is that a toy piano I hear?), SWF have created a diverse record that’s not just musically interesting – it’s fun, too.

Lyrically, the band has smartly written from different perspectives, including that of the show’s casting director (“Billy D.”), Daniel Faraday (“The Redheaded Stranger”), and a fan watching the show and getting completely lost – pun intended (“Helping Hand”).  The songs are certainly fun and quick, perhaps with the exception of “Elegy For Michael,” an instrumental half-track devoted to Michael Dawson’s endlessly sad efforts to reunite with his son.  

But the benefits are so much greater when attention is paid to the lyrics.  SWF have tailor-made jokes seamlessly intertwined in their songs, and the same attention LOST fans bring to the show should be applied to this record – it does not disappoint. Case in point: “That sucks Gary but I guess now you know/You shouldn’t stand in front of the engine/If you want to stay on the show” (“That Sucks, Gary”).  Remember Gary Troup?  If you’ve done your LOST homework you do.

Highlights of the album include “Mixed Signals” – no doubt the sing-along track on the album.  Lyrically drawing from Juliet’s nonchalant comment that it’s very stressful being an Other, Ben’s repeated notion that The Others are “the good guys,” the Pearl Station, the Others’ kidnapping pregnant Claire, Jack’s operating on Ben, and poison dart attacks – the song is a LOST fan’s dream come true.  In terms of the music itself, the final minute or so of the song, with the guitar solo and build-up to the key change bring such fun and excitement to the song that I want to listen to this song endlessly on repeat.  

In “Quite Unseemly, Keamy,” with more of a dance-punk sound, SWF manages to sound more like The Killers or Franz Ferdinand than Weezer or Jimmy Eat World.  In “Keamy,” the stinging guitar riff works together so brilliantly with yet another unique synth keyboard sound to create a tremendous sound.   The drums on this track stand out for me, too – the change from the snare hits to the big crashes on every beat in the last verse bring the whole tune to a heightened state before the intense and unexpected lyric “Challenge your pre-conceived notions about GOOD AND EVIL!!” to end the track, before heading right in to “Helping Hand” with merely a beat separating the tracks.  A lot of fun for LOST fans to dive into the bands’ imagining of what Keamy flashbacks might have entailed.  Too bad the writer’s strike kept us from a definitive answer, but at least we have this song to give us a possible scenario.

Also worth mentioning are how much I enjoy the more unconventional and hilarious “SUBJECT: Rabbit,” the old-timey country feel of “The Redheaded Stranger,” and the 90’s grunge sound of “Wa-a-a-a-alt!”  I can’t help but wonder what great material season 6 of LOST will give these guys to play with next.  A must-have for any LOST fan that enjoys undeniably catchy pop-rock hooks and smart, insightful observations about the show, its characters, and its expanded universe.
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With the enthusiasm of avid Trekies, Sonic Weapon Fence has crafted a wonderful album that is to Lost what Warp 11 is to Star Trek.  And what is that exactly?  It's music that is reverent to a well known and beloved show that also has a smart sense of humor about itself.   Songs such a Billy D. and Subject: Rabbit point out aspects of the show that are laughable and endearing at the same time.  However, what makes these songs all the better is the care that has been put into the lyrics; you can tell the musicians at work here know a thing, or a wiki-like amount, about Lost.  How many people can claim to actually know who Gary Troup is?  Yet while this album will primarily appeal Lost fans, the Lost laymen will also find quite a bit to like about this album as well.  Songs such as "Letters from the 70", "Quite Unseemly Keamy", and "The Redheaded Stranger" respectively explore themes of regret, societal influences, and child like love.   Overall a very enjoyable listen
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With the enthusiasm of avid Trekies, Sonic Weapon Fence has crafted a wonderful album that is to Lost what Warp 11 is to Star Trek.  And what is that exactly?  It's music that is reverent to a well known and beloved show that also has a smart sense of humor about itself.   Songs such a Billy D. and Subject: Rabbit point out aspects of the show that are laughable and endearing at the same time.  However, what makes these songs all the better is the care that has been put into the lyrics; you can tell the musicians at work here know a thing, or a wiki-like amount, about Lost.  How many people can claim to actually know who Gary Troup is?  Yet while this album will primarily appeal Lost fans, the Lost laymen will also find quite a bit to like about this album as well.  Songs such as "Letters from the 70", "Quite Unseemly Keamy", and "The Redheaded Stranger" respectively explore themes of regret, societal influences, and child like love.   Overall a very enjoyable listen
                            Read more...