Lemon Jelly "Lost Horizons"

Lemon Jelly is good for your soul! Last year's lemonjelly.ky album was a mere taste of what these two musicans had in mind. Lost Horizons, Lemon Jelly's proper debut album, is one of the most wholesome, innocent records I've ever heard.
Not since the Yellow Submarine took off on its trip has music been so trippy yet so wholesome. At times, Lemon Jelly's music becomes quite cinematic--think IMAX theatre--and when it does, it gains a dimension that really cannot be beat. It's an aural symphony on CD, did you remember to bring your suit? No worries--close your eyes, for when you open them, you'll be decked out in some fine multicolored threads.

All of the songs follow a nice, sedate, warm, loving electronica pattern with touches of soft, mellow jazz, mixed in with occasional "vocals" (mainly a clip from astronauts in space and one or two spoken bits) that blend in with the music; instead of defining the song, these spoken passages accompany the music, as if they were another instrument. There's a tracklisting, but it's really not all that important; all of the songs blend in to one continuous whole, and because of this, you are encouraged to simply listen and enjoy the landscape. My favorite "song," though, is "Nice Weather For the Ducks," for three reasons: 1. I like nice weather; 2. I like ducks; 3. I like the Bacharach-esque horns that move the song along on a quiet, sailboat-pace.

Lemon Jelly make ambient music in the truest sense of the word; the harder you listen to Lost Horizons, the less special it becomes. Instead of exerting any effort, simply close your eyes, open your ears, press play and enjoy. Don't try and think about it; don't try and analyze it, just enjoy it. When you do, the stresses of life will simply float away, and you'll be sent on a quiet, peaceful journey through the sky, as documented on Lost Horizon's cover art.

For those of you with children: this would be a great record for your next playtime, especially before bedtime. At exactly 60 minutes, it'll sooth and relax those li'l folk. You'll enjoy the wind-down, chill out that Lost Horizons has to offer, and they'll enjoy all of the pleasant, silly, repetitive sounds, and it might just make them all tuckered out.

--Joseph Kyle