On his second solo release, Dept. Of Disappearance, enigmatic and reclusive frontman Jason Lytle continues on his highly individual musical path which he started with his former band, Grandaddy; a cult American band that split up in 2008 and were best known around these parts for the irresistible track “Nature Anthem”.
If one is familiar with the work of Lytle’s previous band, one would both know and appreciate where he’s coming from.
The best description of his take on pop is one very much based around the bedroom musician and highlighted by electronic influences and musical shading.
What is a blessing and a curse about Dept. Of Disappearance is its familiarity. Like a warm blanket, tracks such as “Young Saints”, “Matterhorn”, “Hangtown” and, especially the title track, wrap themselves around you and have an intimacy and immediate connection you rarely feel in music.
The curse part of this is that it all seems too easy for someone as talented as Lytle, and on his latest release, he rarely sounds like he is really pushing himself as an artist. Rather, he seems somewhat content to stay in a groove he is familiar with, namely highly individual and quirky pop. At times, this can be somewhat tiresome.
While by no means a terrible release, one wishes for something a bit more challenging from an artist with such a unique world view.
