A large outfit with a modest sound, Loch Lomond boasts nine rotating multi-instrumentalists alongside mainstay vocalist and founder Ritchie Young. Known for their work on the soundtrack of the 2014 children’s film “The Boxtrolls,” the band returns to the scene with their fifth album, “Pens From Spain.”
It’s a unique entry into the indie-folk scene, littered with orchestral swells and unconventional instrumentation. The band hails from Portland, Oregon, and while its influences can be heard on the album, “Pens From Spain” never devolves into pointless quirkiness or avant-garde, pretentious noise. It is a subtle album with a strong backbone built on experimentation, free from the rules of conventional composition.
The core components of this album’s sound are derived from the instruments it features. String sections and acoustic guitar are very heavily relied on, with on and off accompaniment from relatives of the xylophone and harpsichord. A trumpet can be heard on a few songs, but it is generally used as an element of dissonance and not as an overall component of harmony. The percussion is primarily taken care of by quieter instruments like the egg-shaker or hand drum. When these aren’t in play, a quiet four-piece kit leads in with an upbeat, cymbal-free alternation between the snare and bass drum.
The strongest, most signature element of Loch Lomond’s sound, however, is the unique use of multi-tracking by lead vocalist Young. While it is more than typical to track a couple of identical takes next to each other to create a chorus or just fatten up the sound — and also to have one person sing all of the harmonies that play at one time — Young goes above and beyond in his use of self-harmonization. Sporting a natural tenor, Young also provides bass, tenor two and falsetto tracks alongside his main vocals. The result is haunting, beautiful and incredibly unique.
“Pens From Spain” as a whole is very much focused on the concept of integrating classical orchestral accompaniment with modern indie-folk. Occasionally, the album delves into indie-pop/rock, but its core is firmly rooted in folk. With long, ambient orchestral swells, jaunty acoustic guitar and sweetly upbeat xylophone-like instrumentation, Loch Lomond coaxes the genres to walk hand in hand. Overall, the sound is light and playful but carries the weight of real, personal emotion. It’s a dreamlike trance grounded by the reality of sorrow portrayed in its lyrics.
The album has a very real ability to connect on a deeply personal level. Prior Loch Lomond songs have had a much stronger effect, but “Pens From Spain” is impactful nonetheless. A concurrent theme within the lyrics is that of pain and pleasure from love and romance. While this theme is typically overused and soullessly played out purely for the purpose of increased profit, here it is given real meaning and depth. Young possesses the uncanny ability to put words to feelings and emotions that the average person may not even realize they’re experiencing.
However, no album is flawless. “Pens From Spain” suffers from somewhat repetitive and occasionally droning verses and odd choices in experimentation. While experimentation should generally be seen as a good thing, and in this case it certainly adds another layer of interest to an already exciting album, some may see it as a deterrent. Furthermore, in an entirely overcrowded genre such as indie-folk, even though this album stands apart from the rest, new innovations can be somewhat underwhelming due to the constraints of songwriting structure that is typical of the genre.
Despite these shortcomings, the album is still genuinely enjoyable and a beautiful piece of art. It just goes to show that these praises could only be written about “Pens From Spain.”
