The state of the world, despite the tragedies it has brought, has created space for many of us to explore new things, whether that’s a Netflix series you didn’t have time for, art projects old and new, or learning how to make banana bread. Without a doubt, the quarantine has allowed plenty of new territory to be explored.
This is the truth for the folk-rockers of Fredericton, The Stratified, who recently released their brand new, full-length album Lost in the Light. This eight-track collection boasts an exploratory repertoire of sound while still grasping its Atlantic Canadian roots with more gusto than you can shake a lobster at.
The light-hearted lull of “Castaways” has a particularly interesting lifepath; not only does it channel a fair share of energy from the band’s debut album Crashing the Night Sky, but it was also written by lead vocalist Serge Allard approximately 15 minutes before a gig. It’s the kind of Werner Herzog-level dedication you love to see from artists to their craft, and the string-heavy sweetness that came out of it only compounds this.
“Castaways” is also one of the album’s three balladesque tunes, alongside “Hold Me Close” and the titular track, “Lost in the Light.” Utilizing some slower paces, gentler melodies, and sensual lyrics, these tunes give the album a sense of balance and variety to spice up the auditory landscape. “Lost in the Light” is a bit more adventurous than the other two in terms of energy, and houses themes that are more personal than sensual, but we expect nothing less than some personality from the album’s namesake song.
The band also branches off into a nice collection of garage rock, from the heavy hitter of “21st Century Man” to the bass-laden “Just Another Protest Song,” the album has just as much space for lawn-chairs and Bud Light cans as it does for rocking chairs and cocoa alike. Elsewhere, “Find A Light In Me” and “Broken Arrow” shows more evidence of the band’s willingness to mix-and-match their styles; a definite strength given their range, not least of all the pristine fiddle work by Erin Keith.
Finally, the album’s highlight is, interestingly enough, proof that The Stratified can take this multi-style talent of theirs even further. “Night Lake” starts with a positively mesmerizing piano melody that is quickly adopted as a theme by the band’s remaining instruments and, in course, takes centre stage. Though the opening melody is done ample justice throughout, being able to see Tony Scott’s key skills more often could reinforce the band’s dynamic firepower.
Self-produced and dedicated to the well-being of their home city, Lost in the Light is a lovely gift from The Stratified, and listeners will be more than happy to receive such a pick-me-up.