Great Lake Swimmers - Lost Channels

Often compared in the US media to the likes of Nick Drake, Iron and Wine, Red House Painters and 'After the Gold Rush'-era Neil Young, the new album by Tony Dekker and Co. nods occasionally in the more commercial direction of R.E.M. while simultaneously continuing to deliver the starkly evocative and melodically melancholic (Paste magazine) brand of folk rock for which his band are renowned. Over the course of four albums, Great Lake Swimmers have evolved from a sparse, delicate and hushed unit into a well-rounded band, sacrificing none of their original intimacy while upping both the volume and tempo when necessary, all the while framing the unique voice of Tony Dekker, which is capable of conveying both heartache and comfort in the space of a single phrase.