The Lost Patrol - Songs About Running Away

Coming from the bands Refused and International Noise Conspiracy, you might be surprised to find Dennis Lyxzen doing a project with such a subtle sound, but you would be pleasantly so. The Lost Patrol is one of those “gather up your friends who are musicians and make a record” records, centering around Dennis and a group of songs he wrote, originally unsure of ever releasing them to the public; and though different from the kinds of songs for which we know him, we are thankful that he did. Songs About Running Away is a low-key affair focused on acoustic guitars and songs about love and loss accompanied by flute. Yes, I said flute. It’s not often you find a flutist amongst the rock crowd, but throughout parts of the album, the gentle sounds ride right along with the rest of the gang. “Out Of Date” and “The Last Goodbye” even feature a flute solo, which although different and odd to hear at first, provides a nice stray from the norm. The album begins with mostly slow stuff before stepping into the catchiest tune on the disc, “Alright.” Built around female vocals and an almost swing-like vibe, the track gets instantly in your head with a smile. Similarly, “200 Reasons Why” relies on the sing-a-long “oh yeah, oh my” route to get your head bobbing. Stuck between the two falls the biggest song on the disc, “Going Going Gone,” a quasi-epic piece that doesn’t grab you from the start but pans out nicely to be a great little work. It is always refreshing to hear something on an album that you don’t ever quite hear, (a flute and an acoustic guitar accomplish that much), but what makes the album good is the ability of the songs to stick with you. Don’t expect this to necessarily end up on any year end top 10 lists, but it is a very good mix of laid back acoustic rock with a bit of fun among friends. Every once and a while I pick up a disc that I expect nothing from and get a nice little surprise of an album; this was one of those times. [www.burningheart.com]