Lanterna
"Sands"
(Badman)

Is it possible to arrive just by standing still? Henry Frayne seems to have knack for doing just that. For as long as anyone can remember, he has been carving sculptures of shimmering guitar beauty out of thin air. The evolution of his craft has been by baby steps, rather than by great leaps and bounds. He seems quite content to cultivate the field that he planted. He might be a one trick pony, but boy what a trick.

Since his early days with Area and then the magnificent Moon Seven Times, Frayne has established himself as one of America's premier post-punk atmospheric instrumentalists. Although at times his music touches on dream-pop, darkwave ambiance and Morricone soundtracks, Frayne has a style all his own.

If you've familiar with any of his previous work, then you know what to expect here. Frayne has not reinvented himself. Several of the songs sound like they could have come have been plucked from any of his records over the last ten years. Contrast "Greek Island" with M7T's "Giannis" for an example.

There are downsides to this record. As wonderful as the guitars sound, the music positively soars when a suitable vocalist (like M7T's Lynn Canfield) can bring added depth to the work.

Of course when additional instruments are added to the mix, the results aren't always ginchy. As on previous Lanterna recordings, the bass and drum backing Frayne often sound cheap and incongruous to what he is trying to accomplish. This time out, there are again a couple of instances of appalling accompaniment (the opening "West Side Highway" and the closing "Grey.") Only drums on "Atlantic" actually complement the mood. The rest of the record is thankfully free of meddlesome beats, giving Frayne the freedom to fill a room with sounds.

As expected, the record was dreamy and hypnotic. It's not just background music however. The innovation and odd angles of some of the sounds make for a stimulating listen. Fans of Scenic will want to pick this one up.

-Chris Fowler