When the duo of
Simon Raymonde (
Cocteau Twins) and Richard Thomas (
Dif Juz) released
Ojalá, their debut album as
Lost Horizons, in late 2017, it marked a return to recording for both for the first time in 20 years. Motivated by a world in need of hope as well as a return to music-making, the 15-track set consisted of improvisation-based instrumentals that
Raymonde (bass, guitar, keyboards, production) and Thomas (drums, additional keys and guitar) then passed along to collaborators, who were tasked with adding lyrics and vocals. They take the same approach three years later with the 16-song
In Quiet Moments, this time with themes of death and rebirth suggested to the lyricists. (
Raymonde's mother had died in the interim.) Released as a double album, with the first half arriving in December 2020 and the full work following two months later,
In Quiet Moments begins with "Halcyon," featuring
Penelope Isles. They're one of a handful of representatives here from
Raymonde's
Bella Union label, which also houses
Lost Horizons. The song sets the mood with a haunting indie rock created with a low pitch range (established by bass guitar), ringing guitar tones, wistful chord colors, and ghostly, wordless vocals before the plaintive main melody even makes its entrance. At that point, the track remains atmospheric in nature -- as does the album -- with hard-to-discern lyrics, weeping guitar riffs, and a steady, middling tempo. The tone throughout
In Quiet Moments tends toward an eerie, even foreboding poignance, if one with grooving rhythms and occasionally brighter arrangements. The next track, "I Woke Up with an Open Heart," for instance, sees the Hempolics' head-bobbing retro R&B accompanied by a syncopated horn section (and lyrics like "I woke up to the light/The enemy"). Elsewhere, returning guests from the first
Lost Horizons album include
Marissa Nadler ("Marie"), Gemma Dunleavy ("Linger"), and
Midlake's Tim Smith ("Grey Tower"), though some of the more memorable moments come from first-timers like
John Grant, who lends trippy, multi-tracked vocals to the yearning, drums-free "Cordelia." Its arrangement relies on strings, shimmery keys, and mournful guitar. Among the more theatrical tracks on board are Rosie Blair's "Flutter," a piano-and-strings ballad that evokes a stage and spotlight, and
Ren Harvieu's "Unravelling in Slow Motion," which opts for a smoky, jazz lounge feel. All the songs carry the weight of themes already present in the improvisations, however, making for an even more poignant second album by a project that continues to stand out from the melancholy indie crowd. ~ Marcy Donelson