A Music Album Review of ‘Ask the Dust’ by Lorn

Is the album ‘Ask the Dust‘ by Lorn a seismic moment? We will obviously have to wait and see. There is much to be admired including the hip-hop dimensions of the track ‘Nothing Else’ and the nostalgia of ‘Diamond’. In addition we have noted in this review that the artist is celebrating his switch from the Brainfeeder Label to the UK-based alternative that is Ninja Tune. This follow up to his efforts in 2010’s ‘Nothing Else’.

You will get plenty of cracked melodies and twisted electronics. This may bother some people but we were content to pass this off as part of the uniqueness of the artists. In this review we were particularly interested to see whether Lorn has progressed and the emphatic answer is…YES. The love of melodies is very much in evidence even as they struggle above the powerful beats. A delightfully dark ambience ensures that you are never bored.

In this review we were particularly impressed by the mixture of strength and vulnerability. If you really want to see the talent; then listen to ‘The Well’. It has everything including choral blasts and corroded bass. This is then followed by gentle interludes of piano playing. ‘Ghosst’ has been described as a sensory assault on account of its diverse sounds.

You get a taste of Ortega on different tracks and the characteristic heavy vocals are often used as a surprise mechanism. I loved ‘Weigh Me Down’ with its contorted vocal hooks. The vocal power of the performance is then crystallized in ‘The Gun’. The tone is often menacing but you feel that the singer is hiding a gentler side.

I am of the view that this is a highly unusual album which deserves a place on the repertoire for that reason alone. Some of the vocal pyrotechnics can mask any real feeling; as if the band is just trying to show off.