Incubation By Lighterthief

Last month I had the unenviable task of trying to put into words what it is that Lighterthief actually do when they perform live. It seems only logical that I re-visited 2006’s Incubation album and get to grips with them as a studio project as well. It may seem as if this is going over the same ground, but in the case of a band such as Lighterthief, this is certainly not the case. What this band does live and what they do in the studio, may have a lot in common, but it is certainly not as straightforward as one being the public performance of the other. In that respect this band are very good value for money. Lighterthief main man, Stuart Rowe, would be the first to admit that his creation falls somewhere between a studio project, a band, and a label; an approach that enables him to embrace all the tricks of the studio and work with an ever-changing roster of musicians. This fluidity allows for a sound that is at once full of diverse elements and yet retains an underlying and identifiable fingerprint.

This is not an album that conforms to anything other that the imagination of the creator. If you are expecting the standard, verse, chorus, verse, chorus, solo, chorus, play out template, then you have come to the wrong place. This album is the home of rich textured musical forms that seem to slowly morph from one to the other, music that oozes and spills rather than has defined boundaries, it is an album of extremes as ethereal vocals give way to grinding metallic guitar riffs, or deft piano work is dragged into hypnotic trip hop beats. This really has something for everyone .

It is not an album that seems to exist for its individual tracks, though some, Desperation, for example, would make obvious singles, but more should be experienced as a complete body of work. The musical scope of this album cannot be summed up in one, or three, or four tracks. The joy of the album comes in the unexpected blending of genres. For example, The Trumpet Player seems to be a mix of a Tom Waits’ style spoken vocal with the repetitive mournful brass of Hugh Masekela’s Coal Train. Even more extremes are at work than this though. The Forest opens on medieval strings before heading off into a spiral of seventies funk guitar , staccato vocals, off beats and trippy modern electronica. It really does mix things up in a way that you probably haven’t experienced before. Still, variety is the spice of life, they say, and if that is true then this is the hottest musical chilli powder you will ever taste.

Incubation is a roller-coaster ride of musical themes. Although most of the tracks share a foundation of dark sub-dance back beats, each track is fleshed out with a wealth of musical layers dovetailed into strange shapes and with a production quality and attention to detail that really sets this apart from anything else. You may have read this review and still not really understood what the album is about. The reason for this is that firstly it is difficult to encompass the spectrum of this album in mere words and secondly, each time you play the album you will get something new from it, something that you missed last time round. All I can urge you to do is buy the album and work it out for yourself. You will not be disappointed.