Imagine an entire album of songs that have the same sultry
energy that Berlin's "Take My Breath Away" has (you know,
from the Top Gun soundtrack), but Goth, minimal, and recorded on a four-track.
While the atmosphere remains the same, the songs all stand out very
distinctly due to excellent melodies and the unique vocals of Mike VanPortfleet
and Tara VanFlower, who alternate doing vocals from song to song. While
not excellent singers, the Lycia duo makes its vocals wonderful with
their choice of lyrics and spacings that complement the simple melodies
and click-clack of the drum machine to perfection. Mike's voice has
a quality to it that has a slight wheezy, breaking timbre from the effect
put on it, and his phrasings grab your attention and draw you into this
ethereal, misty world.
Lycia has released more than a few records, but Cold
is clearly their defining work. Dreamy, relaxing yet freezing, Cold
is the perfect record to put on during an equally chilly, rainy day in
which you reserve yourself to hunker down at home and somehow enjoy the
weather.
