Lonesome - To Myself, From Myself

Labels: Self-Released

Formats: Vinyl/Digital

Release Date: 26 Apr 2019

Tracklist: 

1. To Myself

2. Remember

3. ;

4. Be Strong

5. In The Heart You Have

6. From Myself

My current mood is yearning more for post-rock/metal than full-on blasting death/black at the moment and there's plenty of the former around. Peterborough (UK) quintet Lonesome are one band that've released music this year that may have flown straight over people's radars. They flew passed mine until recently. "To Myself, From Myself" was self-released by the band back in April, on all digital platforms as well as on lovely white vinyl. To accompany the record, Lonesome also has a live version, recorded at All Saints Church in Sawtry in Cambridgeshire. I'll put a streaming link to that below this review as well.

Lonesome’s music is cinematic, melodic and instrumentally very strong indeed. It has elements of current heavy music crafted by the likes of Bring Me The Horizon (Sempiternal/That’s The Spirit era)  in places and record opener To Myself majors on that cinematic sound, with both clean vocals and screams nestling within it. Remember is a beautifully thought out and delivered song, which is easy going and that won’t frighten off those that sit on the fringes between the mainstream and heavier sounds. It again contains screaming in places but it’s not overrun with it and Lonesome instead allows the music to say everything they want to.

The oddly titled ; is next up and it’s feedback-ridden intro follows directly on from Remember. It’s a lengthy build-up that gives way to gentle keys and guitar work. The grittiness of that feedback still lingers throughout the song even when the volume increases and it turns it into a really nice instrumental song. The second half of the record contains probably their most dissonant song so far in the form of Be Strong. The bass tones can be heard amongst it all, providing extra heft while Lonesome provides the type of quiet/loud dynamic that’s subtle but also very effective. It’s maybe not as obvious as others make it but that’s fine, as it works really well and doesn’t sound disjointed or forced. It does end rather abruptly though, which I wasn’t expecting.

On penultimate song In The Heart You Have, you’re taken back to a calmer and more introspective place. One with less dissonance and more peace. That’s one feeling that Lonesome really conjures with their music, one of peace and wellbeing. It’s fantastic and really uplifting. Ending with From Myself, Lonesome takes one final opportunity to wrap their musical warmth around you. There’s no need to go for the jugular or throw in gimmicks at every turn. Music like this is best left to flow and find it’s own course. The fact that there are bands like Lonesome who have barely scratched the surface in terms of a following is criminal. They’ve not waited for things to happen for them, they’ve done it themselves and for the love of it. They have my full support and hopefully after hearing this record they’ll have yours too.

You can stream "To Myself, From Myself" and buy it physically/digitally from Lonesome below:-

You can also stream and purchase the live version digitally below:-

Lonesome - https://www.facebook.com/lonesomeuk/