On their fifth album for 4AD,
His Name Is Alive combine the dreamy experimentalism of their early work with the pop and soul of
Stars on E.S.P and
Nice Day, and provide a few new twists along the way. "The Waitress" adds drum machines and keyboards for a new wave sheen, while the slinky "No Hiding Place Down Her" has enough soul for a dozen Top 40 R&B singles. As on the
Nice Day EP, Lovetta Pippen's voice sounds wonderful, whether she's dueting with Karin Oliver on "Everything Takes Forever" or taking center stage on the epic,
Hendrix-inspired "Wish I Had a Wishing Ring."
Steve King and
Warren Defever's smooth, sonically rich production makes the most of the band's versatility, and
Defever's guitar work sounds especially expressive on tracks like "Wishing Ring" and "Little Red Haired Girl," which shifts between bouncy rockabilly licks and noisy, neo-shoegazing leads. The retro-futuristic synth interludes, courtesy of
Defever's Robot World side project, offer a nice contrast to the guitar-heavy aspects of the album. Despite the album's eclectic sounds,
Fort Lake's one constant is its elliptical, yet emotional songwriting; lyrics like "Answer comes from behind/I've been here all this time" from "Spirit Needs a Spirit Tool" (another of the album's highlights) are strangely poignant and resonant. "How It's Gotta Be," co-written by
Defever and bassist Chad Gilchrist, has the sweet, sad feel of classic girl-group pop, while "Rock 'n' Roll Girl From Rock 'n' Roll City"'s repeated refrain of "Come and play/Don't make me wait" adds a new urgency to the band's sound.
His Name Is Alive defy simple classification at any point in their career, but
Fort Lake is one of the best examples of just how wide their reach is. ~ Heather Phares