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Editorial Reviews
2012 sophomore album from Lotus Plaza, the solo nom de plume of Lockett Pundt, better known as the guitarist in Deerhunter. He has the uncanny ability to build soaring, melodic gems from simple musical phrases; a mobius strip of unabashed rockers, acoustic laced introspection & lysergic electronics. Spooky Action At A Distance is a wide angle view of what should be the zeitgeist of contemporary guitar pop.
Customer Reviews
Most Helpful Customer Reviews
2 of 2 people found the following review helpful
Format:Audio CD
Up to this point it seemed as if guitar stud Lockett Pundt was destined to be the Tobin Sprout to Bradford Cox's Robert Pollard. The duo, who make up the heart of indie rock mainstays Deerhunter, have been together - as best friends, supposed lovers and longtime creative collaborators - since their high school days. As Deerhunter has gotten better and more diverse (their last album, 2010's Halcyon Digest, is, in my opinion, a new indie classic), Pundt's role in the band has changed and grown. Along the way, as he's been finding the confidence to step out, Pundt has also been working on records of his own under the Lotus Plaza moniker, quietly releasing one of 2009's best albums, The Floodlight Collective, to a growing cult following. As Deerhunter's stature has heightened amongst the taste makers, so has interest in not only Cox's side project, the great Atlas Sound, but also in Pundt's Lotus Plaza work. His most recent record, this year's Spooky Action at a Distance, is the perfect record to push Pundt to the forefront. The album feels like a continuation of Floodlight in spirit, though the songs are much more accessible and clear, Pundt's vocals finally pushed to the front of the action.
The immediate difference between Floodlight and Spooky is the production. While the songs are certainly the work of the same mind, Spooky dodges the bedroom production vibe of Floodlight, having been recorded in a studio with a proper producer, C. Laszlo Koltay. Pundt is still playing all the instruments, writing all the songs and following his muse. There's a dark, wandering, longing vibe throughout, adding a romantic, almost mythical, sort of element - not at all unlike what brought Elliott Smith fans so close to his work. The mix of clean but edgy pop tracks and nearly shapeless sonic experiments blend together surprisingly well over the course of the album's 10-song set, Pundt acting as a sound auteur, creating a mood and holding on tight for the duration.
As far off as the Elliott Smith comparison might seem to some, I can't help but go back to it. Like Ells, Pundt doesn't so much write his music as he does build it. The songs feel like labored-over constructions - a man in a room, trying out every idea he has until one feels justright. Also, like Smith, Pundt has a unique sincerity and vulnerability in his voice that will - or at least should - help him connect to his listeners in a more personal way than most of songwriter contemporaries. Sure, he's not nearly the brilliant lyricist Smith was, but Spooky Action at a Distance is hard proof that Lockett Pundt is a full-blown music maker of the highest degree, right up there with his pal, Brad Cox, even.
Read more of my music- and film-related reviews at ZeCatalist.com.
The immediate difference between Floodlight and Spooky is the production. While the songs are certainly the work of the same mind, Spooky dodges the bedroom production vibe of Floodlight, having been recorded in a studio with a proper producer, C. Laszlo Koltay. Pundt is still playing all the instruments, writing all the songs and following his muse. There's a dark, wandering, longing vibe throughout, adding a romantic, almost mythical, sort of element - not at all unlike what brought Elliott Smith fans so close to his work. The mix of clean but edgy pop tracks and nearly shapeless sonic experiments blend together surprisingly well over the course of the album's 10-song set, Pundt acting as a sound auteur, creating a mood and holding on tight for the duration.
As far off as the Elliott Smith comparison might seem to some, I can't help but go back to it. Like Ells, Pundt doesn't so much write his music as he does build it. The songs feel like labored-over constructions - a man in a room, trying out every idea he has until one feels justright. Also, like Smith, Pundt has a unique sincerity and vulnerability in his voice that will - or at least should - help him connect to his listeners in a more personal way than most of songwriter contemporaries. Sure, he's not nearly the brilliant lyricist Smith was, but Spooky Action at a Distance is hard proof that Lockett Pundt is a full-blown music maker of the highest degree, right up there with his pal, Brad Cox, even.
Read more of my music- and film-related reviews at ZeCatalist.com.
2 of 2 people found the following review helpful
Format:Audio CD
2nd album from Deerhunter guitarist Lockett Pundt--beautiful, crystalline clear, ringing pop songs
with an awe-inspiring natural sense of depth and clarity that's layered with subtle ambient drone
and a gentle druggy sparkle. The songs have a dreamy, relaxing attraction built on strength of
melody, while retaining an edge of experimental sound sculpture. The vocals feel genuine and
compelling, and are complimented by catchy, driving guitar refrains. Listening to this, it's easy to
understand why Deerhunter are such an amazing band. When you combine the eclectic genius
of Bradford Cox with the innovative, warm pop stylings of Lockett Pundt, good things happen.
And now Lotus Plaza has risen to the same level. Sometimes recalls artists like Felt, Wild
Nothing, Sleepy Jackson, Weird Dreams, Carter Tanton &, of course, Deerhunter. This is an
album that begs for repeated listening. Brilliant! ...from Atlanta, Georgia.
with an awe-inspiring natural sense of depth and clarity that's layered with subtle ambient drone
and a gentle druggy sparkle. The songs have a dreamy, relaxing attraction built on strength of
melody, while retaining an edge of experimental sound sculpture. The vocals feel genuine and
compelling, and are complimented by catchy, driving guitar refrains. Listening to this, it's easy to
understand why Deerhunter are such an amazing band. When you combine the eclectic genius
of Bradford Cox with the innovative, warm pop stylings of Lockett Pundt, good things happen.
And now Lotus Plaza has risen to the same level. Sometimes recalls artists like Felt, Wild
Nothing, Sleepy Jackson, Weird Dreams, Carter Tanton &, of course, Deerhunter. This is an
album that begs for repeated listening. Brilliant! ...from Atlanta, Georgia.
3 of 4 people found the following review helpful
By Kenneth
Format:Audio CD
I'm not a member of deerhunter nor do i produce the band, so i'm not really sure whether Bradfox Cox's (Atlas sound) rhetoric about the band being equal contributors is true or not. I guess i've no reason to to doubt him other than the fact that he's been the only member who's achieved considerable attention as a solo artist, whilst other deerhunter side projects haven't really generated the same hype. That might be about to change now though, thanks to Lockett Pundt's (Lotus Plaza) Spooky Action At a Distance.
The latest album from the groups quietest member packs a suprising punch and demonstrates his skill at constructing songs that are bursting with melody. "Strangers" is an immediate standout with Locketts lyrical refrain of alienation and insouicance set to immediately invitng guitars and a simple drum beats that elevate the songs catchiness no end. i like many other listeners have found myself singing the lines "What's wrong you said, I shrunk and shook my head". Other themes like yearning and nostalgia are present throughout this record too perhaps best exemplified by "Remember Our Days" which delicately chugs along sounding gossamer and heartfelt "smiled at the time that we spent, if i don't see you again i'm glad that you were my friend".
The overall sound of the record isn't easy to categorize but familiar patterns of loops, light distortion and pulse like drumming are present in almost every song here, excluding "Black Buzz" the largely acoustic number and it's a combination that really complements his approachable if somewhat limited monotone vocals. I have few complaints about the album in all honesty aside from the occasional moment where some of the songs called for an additional element or effect to make them really soar, nevertheless this is an impressive sophomore record by another rising star from the mighty deerhunter.
The latest album from the groups quietest member packs a suprising punch and demonstrates his skill at constructing songs that are bursting with melody. "Strangers" is an immediate standout with Locketts lyrical refrain of alienation and insouicance set to immediately invitng guitars and a simple drum beats that elevate the songs catchiness no end. i like many other listeners have found myself singing the lines "What's wrong you said, I shrunk and shook my head". Other themes like yearning and nostalgia are present throughout this record too perhaps best exemplified by "Remember Our Days" which delicately chugs along sounding gossamer and heartfelt "smiled at the time that we spent, if i don't see you again i'm glad that you were my friend".
The overall sound of the record isn't easy to categorize but familiar patterns of loops, light distortion and pulse like drumming are present in almost every song here, excluding "Black Buzz" the largely acoustic number and it's a combination that really complements his approachable if somewhat limited monotone vocals. I have few complaints about the album in all honesty aside from the occasional moment where some of the songs called for an additional element or effect to make them really soar, nevertheless this is an impressive sophomore record by another rising star from the mighty deerhunter.
Most Recent Customer Reviews
4.0 out of 5 stars
Nostalgic nineties ear candy
This is not the most memorable record I've heard but it's a good listen, and reminds me of staying up late on Saturday night, listening to college radio and being overwhelmed by... Read more
Published 24 days ago by Todd Thurman
5.0 out of 5 stars
Lockett Pundt stands on his own two feet with Spooky Action at a...
I've made two critical mistakes since I began writing music reviews, both of them involving the same band. Read more
Published 12 months ago by Brian E.
4.0 out of 5 stars
Soothing sounds in times of seclusion
One of the most obvious changes in Spooky Action is the tremendous shift in vocal clarity from his debut album, The Floodlight Collective. Read more
Published 13 months ago by Caye
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