CD Reviews
Lupe - Burn | Review
Lupe - Burn
October 2019
Alcyone Records
When music is coming right out from your soul, then you have "Burn".
Well, this is one of the difficult reviews I 've ever made. And that is because I am very much into Lupe's debut full length album, "Burn".
I will start with a small introduction. A few words about Lupe. Lupe is the solo project of Mosquito's frontman, Michalis Latousakis. It is his personal journey through the darkest paths of his heart. The paths that he is now inviting everyone, to walk with him. Personal experiences written in some piece of paper, transformed, in time, to dark tunes. As Lupe states, pure expression of feelings and thoughts. Feelings and thoughts that could be mine, could be yours and that, perhaps, could happen to you at any given time.
With "Burn", Lupe combines a number of music elements and things and builds a theatrical gothic atmosphere. Based on his pure gothic tone in voice, but without keeping it in, what someone could say, the narrow barriers of the genre, he slides and explores different dark music ways. I would dare to say that, in "Burn", there is a more gothic and haunted part of some dark cabaret, even dark burlesque music bands and artists, like Emilie Autumn or Mr. Strange. Lupe has given a name to his music and that is Gothspell. And I really like it.
"Burn" starts this journey with a melancholic piano melody, in "The Door". A melody that creates the depressive scenery and lays these feelings that will build all this dark ambience that follows. "Burn my desire" flows gently right after the intro. Using some electronic elements like the melodic synth tunes that makes a really interesting contrast with the "The Door". Inside "Burn My Desire" we find Lupe. An amazing deep voice, singing with the voice full of desperation, expressing this feelings he was intended to.
In "Why", there is exactly this. A question, a "why". Searching the reasons that turn love into pain. Almost classical arrangements from Lupe, with a tension being built throughout this 5 minutes. Using even some powerful drums in the background, mixed with a strong piano playing and dressed with rock and goth guitar riffs. A song with surprises. "Dedicated Rain" pulls you slowly into the gothic and sad tale. Lupe here is playing with some double vocals techniques and the music using, again, classic elements, almost theatrical.
"Have You Ever" is one of the songs that I am really into. I am into Lupe's lyrics and the theatricality of the music. A gothic ballad with a guitar which griefs in the background, and in a more progressive way. The theme of another sad story. "Cold Surrender" starts with a synth melody and drum rhythm, quite as in a mourning march. Synths here give a sense of an organ and as the song going towards, Lupe uses his vocal capabilities to narrate and sing together.
In "Timeless" the piano arrangements and melody walks the listener till the end. It is a proof that feelings can be expressed with an instrument and a voice. But there is still a surprise for the listener, somewhere after the third minute when music is taken over by the synths and the desperation in Lupe's voice leads him to some really high tones. "She'll Burn The Dawn" is extremely theatrical, possible in some last act of an unfinished sad love theatrical story.
"Till The Day" is a dark cabaret anthem. Not as one, taken out from some bestial moments like the well-known themes of the famous Tiger Lilies. but describing a difficult emotional state. Music-wise and lyric-wise. Again with use of classical and theatrical, bourlesque parts, including the piano elements in the first part of the song, the sad drum beat escorting the deep voice of Lupe and growing the tension higher. Closing song is the "Burned Down". A music score that uses all the previous emotional elements found in the album. Piano, drums, and a beautiful addition of an intense violin melody, all dressed in black and walking till the end of the story along with Lupe's voice yelling "Burn".
Lupe is the man behind these dark concept, but he had some great people around him that contributed in the creation of "Burn". In "Why" and "Have You Ever", guitar riffs played by James, lead guitarist of Mosquito. In "Till The Day" we find George Kastanakis on guitars. George kastanakis is also the man behind, and responsible for LUPE's beautiful artwork.
Sincerely, I can't tell which are the bands or artists that have influenced Lupe for this album. And this is because, to my ears, "Burn" is so unique at many aspects. I could tell that the ambience and mood is deeply sad, dark and gothic, And I believe there would be no review, no report, that could express all of these that Lupe would like to, with his debut album. It is a spontaneous concept album. One of those that an artist writes when there are different facts in his/her life that leads to a continuous creation. Improvised creation that express the feelings. Lupe chooses to explore his formerly known gothic paths but in a redifined way. With his extremely deep tone in the voice, and the combination of his music preferences variety.
So in order for you to touch what Lupe is willing to express with "Burn", do not just read this lines. Go ahead and listen to this album. With your eyes closed, creating the images of the sad stories that you will find inside "Burn.
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