Album Review - Lotus Plaza: Spooky Action At A Distance

Lotus Plaza
Spooky Action At A Distance
Rating: Grrrr

Lockett Pundt, the shy, unassuming guitarist for Atlanta based Deerhunter, is usually in the background on stage with frontman Bradford Cox hogging most of the spotlight, content to focus on his vast collection of effects pedals. Since their album Microcastle, Pundt has been stepping out from the shadows more and more. His track "Agoraphobia" was the highlight for me from that record, and "Desire Lines" from the follow up Halcyon Digest was another standout track. As with any band, the battles as to the direction the sound will take are likely hard won, and it is appealing for members to want to create their own music separate from their own band. Indeed, Bradford Cox likes to indulge his more experimental/ambient side with his Atlas Sound project, and Pundt himself already has one album under his belt for his Lotus Plaza side project. The Floodlight Collective traded in amorphous, liquidy textures and hazy guitars that recalled the solo projects of Animal Collective members, like Avey Tare and Panda Bear, which made it an interesting but not very distinctive album. In the three years since that release, it is apparent from the first run through of Pundt's second Lotus Plaza album Spooky Action At A Distance, that his confidence in his sound and direction has bloomed and multiplied. Gone are the free form sonic explorations, replaced by a forceful and directed purpose. The tracks here are built on solid rhythmic foundations and loops borrowing from Krautrock's motorik tenacity, layered over with sparkling guitar lines and shoegaze textures which are always changing and mutating across the album, making it a trance like experience without any comedown.

"Jet Out Of The Tundra" is a perfect example, the drum beat never varying, and yet the guitars, a muted chug at first, are supplemented with a jangly shimmer and what sounds like a ukulele or banjo, then punctuated by stark piano chords and droning waves of treated guitars.



"Strangers" is perhaps the track that most shows Pundt's influence in Deerhunter, the chiming layers of guitars holding perfect sway over the militaristic drum patterns. The track is so perfectly rendered it sounds like an 80s college rock classic.



"Dusty Rhodes" slowly edges away from glitchy beats and shambling pace into a purposeful pop track, carefully crafted with clear, ringing guitars and insistent beat, before dropping out with a fragile acoustic breakdown.



Final track "Black Buzz" showcases Pundt's softer, acoustic side, focusing on a drowsy melody and Pundt's jagged croon, ending with lush, spacey keyboard washes.



Spooky Action At A Distance is not all mild-mannered and staid, "White Galactic One" shreds and mangles guitar chords over a chugging beat.



"Out of Touch" borrows from late era Jesus and Mary Chain, with feedback touched guitars buoyed by a 60s backbeat.



The focus of the album, however, is all about well constructed indie rock pop songs. "Monoliths" finds Pundt putting his voice out front and center of a tight swirl of guitars,



while "Eveningness" and "Remember Our Days" channel shimmering guitar rock and motorik art pop respectively.



Spooky Action At A Distance reveals that Pundt is starting to find his own voice and confidence in his songwriting. Instead of making a more insular album like The Floodlight Collective Pundt has put his voice out in front, no longer content to hide behind effects pedals, and has come up with one of the best albums of the year.

Rating Scale:

Chilfos: masterpiece; coolest thing I've heard in ages.

Woof Daddy: excellent; just a hair away from being a masterpiece.

Grrrr: very good; will definitely be considered for my top releases of the year.

Yeah Daddy Make Me Want It: good; definitely invites further listens and piques one's interest for more material.

Meh: not horrible, but certainly not great; could have either been polished, trimmed, or re-thought.

Jeez Lady: what the hell happened? Just plain bad. They should hang their heads in shame and be forced to listen to Lady Gaga ad nauseam as penance.

Tragicistani: so bad, armed villagers with pitchforks and torches should run the artist out of the country for inflicting this abomination on the human race.