Customer Reviews

For Ramona

5 star:		(4)
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This album comes with a story: I visited the Lovless Records website to purchase the two albums by Voyager One, and I happened to see a couple of free Los Halos downloads. After downloading and listening to the tracks I added this album to my shopping cart. I spent two longs weeks waiting and anticipating my V1 CDs, but when my shipment arrived I put on "For Ramona" just to check it out. It hasn't left my CD player yet. I've listened to it incessantly and I still love it and think about listening to it.

The music is mostly sparse and ranges from simplistic ('The Fisherman's King,' 'Losst Halo') to nearly psychedelic and shoe gazer-ish ('Morning of the Sun,' 'Dagger Bones,' 'Will You go to Heaven), but the lyrics carry so much weight and complement the music so well that you won't notice, or care. Lyrical themes of love and loss rue the day, but instead of simplistic bleating the listener is graced with rich imagery and creativity.

'Fisherman's King' was my favorite track to begin with, then it was 'My Heart as an Arrow' before it moved on to 'Gold is the Color' and 'Dagger Bones.' That's what I love about this album: no only is it constantly efficacious but every listen reveals something new to be discovered and devoured. Every song is a classic, there is simply not one track that one would ever need to be skipped over. I'm as fickle and ADD riddled when it comes to music as most of the eMpTyV generation, so it says something for an artist to create a work that is consistently brilliant and makes one want to listen endlessly. That is exactly what Los Halos has done.

Though guitar, some bass and sparse drumming are the specials of the day, Los Halos stretch out an embellish with great effect. 'Losst Halo' has a wailing accordian (I think) and haunting xylophone (is that what it is?) that come into play midway through the song; 'Morning of the Sun' uses a slinky bass line that tangles with a droning organ that gives the song an air of classic mid-60s acidified rock. 'My Heart as an Arrow' brings back the organ but it lends the proceedings an air of a funeral, which is appropriate for the lyrical tone. A banjo comes into play on the hidden track, the most beautifully languid 8 minutes this side of a nap in a hammock.

In short this is probably my new favorite album. I think about it when I'm not listening to it, and it's pure ecstacy when it's playing. No matter what your musical preferance you WILL enjoy this album. I highly and unconditionally recommend "For Ramona" and once you give a listen, you will too.

I've been following these guys since 2000 and not only do they produce some of the best music currently out there right now but they're also incredibly great people. I've had the pleasure of seeing them perform live both in full-band and solo acoustic set ups and the best way I can say it is that no matter who you are, you're suddenly a close friend and they have a story to tell you.

This record was actually cut in 1998, if I recall correctly. John Richards of Loveless Records wisely didn't tamper with the original recording and released it as-is. It's mainly acoustic and folky, recalling both a bit of Neutral Milk Hotel and the Mountain Goats without copying either one.

There is a ton of Los Halos music available: check out loshalos.com.

this is music with substance. music with words that you want to listen to. music with sounds that blend and collide and layer in ways that mesmerize you like a lava lamp. music that you're so glad you've discovered, you wonder where it's been all this time.

i _highly_ recommend this CD to anyone who appreciates good freakin music. most of it is acoustic, with a single frontman crooning in the background. no, it's not radiohead. if i had to compare to any other band, i'd think of early yo la tengo.....

Believe the wise words of Jason below, and know that any of the three so-far released Los Halos albums will become a musical bible in your posession, never leaving you for the rest of your life. By far the most incredible secret band out there, and one you should make your own immediately.