Lo-Fang
Blue Film
4/5

There is a fine line between making the most of your talents and simply throwing everything you know at a project and hoping it sticks. With a classical training in cello, violin, bass, piano and guitar, and songs written whilst travelling to places like Bali, Cambodia and Tokyo, Baltimore musician Lo-Fang certainly straddles that line on his debut offering Blue Film. And somehow, for the most part, it seems to work.

Lo-Fang – pseudonym of musician Matthew Hemerlein – is certainly not afraid to exploit his wealth of musical training on this record. Opening track ‘Look Away’ quickly segues from twinkling synths into dwindling acoustic guitar and brooding cello, leaving Hemerlein’s falsetto at its most vulnerable. The plucky violin and finger snaps of ‘Animal Urges’ are abruptly replaced by swooping orchestral strings. These juxtapositions are made with such conviction that the listener has little chance to process or question them.

A slow-burning cover of ‘You’re The One That I Want’ from the musical Grease is a particularly intriguing moment of the album. On this, as with many other songs on Blue Film, Hemerlein’s voice emulates the feigned disinterest that made Lorde famous – no surprise then that the New Zealand singer has asked Lo-Fang to support her on tour. The vocals almost act to counterbalance the boundless energy of the instrumentals. Occasionally it comes across unfocused and confused, however the overall effort remains impressive and certainly makes for an interesting listen.

Jack Kenny