Boa Morte – Signal: Lost
Boa Morte – Signal: Lost
Gare Du Nord Records
Words: Paul McDermott
On Signal: Lost Boa Morte’s signature near-whispered vocals, slow pace, and multiple layers and textures are complimented by electronic programming, brass and percussive instrumentation, found sounds, and electric piano. The organic and synthesised sounds meld to leave an otherworldly impression on the listener.
The album draws on elements of folk and Americana but is also suggestive of contemporary classical, jazz and post-rock. It’s an immersive record, in its quieter, sparser moments - when the hum of the studio’s room ambience, the vibration of a brushed cymbal or the pulsing of a tongue drum can be heard - I was even reminded of the atmospheres created by (dare I write it) late-period Talk Talk.
Signal: Lost the band’s fifth record, reflects another progression of ideas since their last album, 2023’s The Total Space. James Darkin returns to produce having last worked with the band on their third album, 2019’s Before There Was Air.
Opener ‘April 22’ comes to life with the sound of buzzing static before a simple piano surfaces. The layers built as other textures and instruments emerge. Next comes recent single ‘The Following On’ which takes us into the first of two short vignettes (named for GPS coordinates pinpointing two of the locations where the album was recorded: the band’s own studio in Cork and Hellfire Studios in Dublin).
In between these two vignettes are a suite of six songs. Among these songs are three of the band’s strongest to date: ‘The Song is Sung No More’, ‘Bird That Flies’ and ‘Dream State’. On the latter, a slow minimal track, the band’s instrumentation is augmented by Darach Ó Torna on saxophone, Jack Mahony on trombone and Hilary Bow’s vocals. It’s a thing of beauty.
Following the second short GPS vignette we finish with the near seven-minute ‘The Garden Part 2’, a slow-building epic that ends to the sound of an electric organ and Jack Mahony’s trombone.
Signal:Lost: demands repeated listening and eventually reveals itself as the band’s best album to date.
https://boamorte.bandcamp.com/album/signal-lost
