Lotus Bridge

UKポスト・パンクの重鎮The Monochrome SetのニューアルバムがTapete Recordsよりリリース!オリジナル・メンバーが集結し、ロンドンで制作された意欲作。40年以上にわたる活動で築かれてきた独自のサウンドと、皮肉とユーモアを帯びた歌詞表現は本作でも健在で、これまで以上に強い物語性が前面に押し出されている。制作の着想源となったのは、バンドの中心人物Bidが見た夢。そこに現れた人物や風景をもとに、崩壊しつつある文明、説明もなく受け入れることを求められる未知の未来、そして過去へと遡る旅が寓話的に描かれる。エレクトリックピアノとアコースティックギターを核に、ワイドなステレオのギターやアンビエントな音像が配され、アルバム全体がひと続きの作品として構成されている。

By the time they released Lotus Bridge in 2026, the Monochrome Set had been making records off and on for almost 50 years. Most bands in a similar situation are either nostalgia acts or have been reduced to making albums that chase trends or come off as pale imitations of their best work. The group have avoided all these fates, and since they re-formed in the mid-2010s, theyve been making one excellent record after another that have all the spark and invention of their early work, plus an extra layer of confidence and wisdom. This album is no exception. Its a thoughtfully written, perfectly produced, wonderfully played, and openheartedly sung listen presided over by the evergreen voice of Bid. The songs revolve around recurring dreams the singer/songwriter had been having for a while and was finally able to corral and turn into a suite of tunes that semi-obscurely detail the crumbling of civilization. A heavy topic, but its delivered lightly with a mix of acoustic and electric instruments that blend very nicely while providing a perfect backdrop for Bids languid singing. His relaxed tones are set off nicely by the more active backing vocals of Alice Healey, who adds lush harmonies to quite a few of the songs. Opening track "Lotus Bridge" sets the stage for the rest of the record; its surreal lyrics feel very dreamlike, and the rambling, carnival-like feel the band gets going sweeps the listener headfirst into the story. The songs that follow are balanced between swooning ballads like the string-filled "Diaphanous" or the quietly rollicking "Map of the Night Sky" and tracks that straddle the line between jangling melody and adventurous drama. A song like "Jenny Greenlocks" shows just how magical the band can be; Bids lyrics are instantly gripping, the vocal melody is entrancing, and the music has a tender swashbuckling manner that feels both intricately plotted and improvised. Few other bands can walk that line quite as steadily as the Monochrome Set, and every song here does it with ease. Its not just boilerplate, though; Bid and the group put a great deal of care into every album, and its clear from how high Lotus Bridge ranks among their discography -- near the tippy top -- that they were extra-inspired by Bids dream vision to exceed their standards. Everything -- from the vocals to the production -- is top-notch, and the record is a glittering late-career triumph. ~ Tim Sendra