Label: Badman Recording Co.

Release Date: April 20, 2004

Website: web.lanterna.tv

Lanterna - Highways
Jeff Edwards

Instrumental albums are often difficult to navigate.Ê All too often, they fall into one of several pre-defined categories, and even more often they have too little variation to be consistently interesting from start to end.ÊSuch is often the complaint with, for instance, guitar virtuoso performances Ð the musicianship is extremely good, but the music not so compelling after a few songs of the same type of riffs and solos.

Ê Lanterna, however, avoids these pitfalls quite nicely by producing an album full of music that seems to draw upon pure emotion without ever falling back on pure formula.Ê True, there are places where an individual song may drag on a bit too long and risk a certain monotony.Ê This is most evident on the track "Last Practice," which continues on for a couple of minutes too long.Ê This is more than made up for via variation in tone and tempo between the tracks.Ê This is not to say that there are ever any standard rock tracks that will fill dance floors Ð there are certainly not Ð but there is much room to move within the mid-tempo, Americana-twinged instrumental sound.

Ê Songs such as "Clear Blue," "Brightness" and "Canyons" bring to mind what The Unforgettable Fire-era U2 might sound like without vocals.Ê The jangly and creative guitar work sounds as if it could indeed be The Edge pounding away.Ê Some other numbers, most notably "Brooklyn" dance close to the line of contemporary jazz, but pull back before entering that dreaded genreÕs confines.

Ê One striking thing about the disc is the amount of emotion that presents itself via just instruments speaking.Ê"Adriatic" is a moving tune filled with acoustic guitar.Ê "Half-Light" varies between bright and airy sounds mixed with dark and disturbing overtones.Ê It could be the soundtrack for a movie where all is well, but danger lurks unseen around every corner, unbeknownst to the characters.Ê Obviously each song can and will mean something different toÊ each listener without vocals to intrude, and that makes the experience very personal and powerful.

Ê If there is any other complaint about the recording, it is the intrusion of a common gimmick late in the listening.ÊOn the final two tracks, the listener is treated to music interspersed with long periods of silence or near-silence.ÊWere this meant as simply background music, this might be acceptable.Ê However, for an album that is otherwise so compelling, dealing with these gaps are irritating and unnecessary.

Ê Lanterna has recorded a very nice set of performances on Highways.Ê Strong musical performances are shown throughout, and this album certainly will renew the faith of many that instrumental music need not be dull or frowned upon as an inferior product.

posted 04.13.04

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Jeff Edwards is now listed in who's who in the management sciences (courtesy Googlism.com). E-mail him at paranoia@sbcglobal.net

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