The Besnard Lakes know how to take their time. Not only has it been over four and a half years since their last LP hit the shelves, but – as is typical for the Montreal-based collective – they stretch the eight tracks making up the new album The Besnard Lakes Are The Ghost Nation over a full 45 minutes.
However, this is a record which never feels drawn out or aimless. Rather, the record unfurls quite naturally, gently but insistently leading the listener on a sonic journey full of introspective valleys and euphoric peaks.While plenty of parallels can be drawn between The Besnard Lakes and contemporaries such as London-based conceptual rock band Public Service Broadcasting, this album shows greater restraint and purpose. The songs are given space to breathe, yet never miss a step or lose focus – a quality that elevates the band well above their peers.
smouldering Calling Ghostly Nations, a contemplation on societal development and decay, before settling into its stride with the more direct but still dreamlike Chemin de la Baie “Dive deep down far from the day… float down to that darkest place”.
From this foundation, the album ebbs and flows through its neo-psychedelic core (the band cite Spiritualized’s 1992 debut Lazer Guided Melodies as a primary influence), before finishing with Give Us Our Dominion, a cathartic closer which successfully marries Beach House-style dream pop with a Greek bouzouki melody line.
Thematically, this is an LP which is difficult to pin down. From the blurry, two-tone artwork to the reverb-soaked vocals, the album works hard to keep its mysteries intact. But it is precisely the records’ combination of ambiguity and universality which makes it so inviting. As with so much of the very best music, deriving meaning is a responsibility willingly passed to the listener, and it rewards the effort with a deeply moving musical experience. 4.5/5 stars
