THE LAYAWAYS: We've Been Lost

The Layaways

We've Been Lost

© 2004 Mystery Farm Records (616892623922)

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Indie guitar pop, filled with hooks and vocal harmonies.

notes

"...songs (that) will have you gazing at your shoes in blissful content..."
-- Time Out Chicago

"The Layaways make fine indie pop. Hushed vocals interweave with understated buzzing guitars. The whole LP is a revelation from the start."
-- Lostmusic

"A wonderfully crafted recording built around tasteful songwriting and musicianship..."
-- PopMatters

"An untamed growl of guitar noise lays at the heart of this pop confection..."
-- Fingertips

"The Layaways have the shoegaze and blissful dreampop down the way it should be..."
-- Mystery and Misery

Hooks, harmonies, and aural hors d'oeuvres. That's what you'll find on "We've Been Lost," the second album by Chicago indie-rockers the Layaways.

Though "We've Been Lost" picks up sonically where 2003's critically acclaimed "More Than Happy" debut left off, there are some big differences otherwise. What started out as David Harrell's one-man recording project on the first album has grown into a full-fledged band. Programmed rhythms were dropped in favor of drummer Nathan Burleson, while Mike Porter contributes his songs, bass playing, and vocals to round out the trio.

Harrell also made the move from his home studio to Chicago's Wall to Wall Recording. Dan Dietrich, whose recent work includes a slew of acclaimed local and national artists (Andrew Bird, the Redwalls, Head of Femur), recorded and mixed the tracks. Eric Masunaga (producer for Sebadoh, the Dambuilders) mastered the album at his Modulus studio in Boston.

"We've Been Lost" is a melodic, 11-song collection that mixes new-wave-influenced indie-pop with hints of folk and psychedelica. Porter and Harrell's songs and vocals combine to create a catchy sound that has drawn comparisons to Guided By Voices, the Jesus and Mary Chain, and the Pernice Brothers. These tunes make a fast trip from your iPod to your brain and will have you humming along in no time.

reviews

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  • Pleasent Indie Pop
    author: AW

    This CD is my first exposure to the Layaways, and they have definatley left a good impression. "We've Been Lost" is a collection of uplifting, blissful indie pop that will put you in a good mood and have you tapping your feet no matter what mood you were in when you put it on. The quote in the description about "looking at your shoes in blissful content" couldn't be more spot on. "Bombs Away" is an amazing track...but the whole CD is awesome. If you are a fan of the indie genre (and who isn't nowadays?) this is worth a listen - and definatley for 5$.

  • downtempo that has a folksy/New Wave feel
    author: Jason Baker @ Synthpop.net

    The Layaways started off as the solo project of David Harrell, but with the addition of Nathan Burleson on drums and Mike Porter contributing bass guitar and vocals The Layaways became a full band. Now, while there aren't any overtly 'synthy' songs presented here, each and every track is pure pop, with the occasional synthesizer playing a role in the music. The songs may be pop songs, but none of them are particularly aggressive or ultra-danceable. They're more of the gentle popsongs that linger in the back of your mind for days, popping up at unexpected places and times. The Guitars that lead most of the songs are very smooth, gently gilding the melody along through the songs. The muted vocals don't leap out from the songs, but blend in as a contributing element to the whole, rather than leading them. The only exception to that is "Lying And Stealing", which has the lead vocals take on a 70's rock flavor that's.. interesting. Of the 11 tracks presented here, "Silence", "Nothing Left To Burn" and "Bombs Away" are the three that I found myself going back to the most often. But if you're in the mood for something a little more downtempo that has a folksy/New Wave feel to it, this will be right up your alley.

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