L.Y.R.
Dark Sky Reservation (Real World)
L.Y.R. initially started out as a conceptual aural experiment for poet laureate Simon Armitage, songwriter Richard Walters and multi-instrumentalist/producer Patrick Pearson, but in short order gained enough momentum to become a functioning band, with two well received albums. Dark Sky Reservation is their third, and first for Peter Gabriel’s Real World label.
At the heart of Dark Sky Reservation, itseems, is a longing to cut through pretentiousness and get to the soul of human connection. Guernica Jigsaw is a fine example of this, and the song which gels this frequently engaging album together – as does the topic of climate change, a subject lyrically bridged throughout. With a sound akin to Brian Eno producing Underworld, every L.Y.R. instrumental is coupled to beautifully resonant spoken words from Armitage, capturing the emotional zeitgeist of our – reeling, beaten-up, somewhat surreal – planet.
words DAVID NOBAKHT
