Lost Channels (CD - 2009)

Earnestness in indie rock, even the folksy kind, became even more self-conscious by the late 2000s. Which is why Tony Dekker's whispered admission that "This is the way that I felt/Like the world's tallest self-supporting tower" during "Concrete Heart," amidst crying violins and lullaby percussion, is quietly jarring. While the ornate, often pastoral makeup of LOST CHANNELS will garner Great Lake Swimmers many comparisons to gently rollicking strummers of the day, their clearest context is a regional one. The one-of-a-kind striving for human connectivity heard in the detached folk of fellow Canadians like Mark Berube, Octoberman, and Rock Plaza Central is the best path to find what LOST is seeking. Even then, it's an album with a distinct and challenging beauty. minimize