LIGHTTOWN CLOSURE

Fourteen Twentysix is the project of Chris van der Linden, a talented Dutch composer and multi-instrumentalist whose music has grown on me recently. His first EP, entitled "Songs to Forget" and released in 2009 was just a taste of his capacity of creating quality music; now in this 2010, he released his first full-length album that fortunately has received good critics, and it has to, because it is a pretty good album.

"Lighttown Closure" features nine compositions and a total time of 53 minutes. It kicks off with the shortest track entitled "AM". There is an acoustic guitar alone for the first minute, then a peacefully atmosphere is created until one minute and a half, where the song stops for some seconds. Later, vocals enter with guitar, creating a kind of sad feeling. When it finishes, the second song starts and seems to be the continuation of the opener, however, "After the Storm" shows more that electronic sound that predominates in this project's sound. This is a pretty cool song that I really enjoy, I love his atmospheres, his mixture of melancholy, darkness and light. In "Closing Hours" I really like that dark atmosphere created by the bass and complemented by Chris' vocals. During the songs one can perceive different sections and create several images in the mind, despite its dark feeling it shares different colours and stories. I like the end where he puts acoustic guitar as foreground and drums as background.

"Gone Today" is another shorter track, but an addictive one. The music starts slow but gradually progresses and becomes more interesting. The vocal game is quite good because it provokes diverse things on the listener, despite you know it's the same voice, listening to both at the same time can create different things, so it was good decision to do it.

Now the longer tracks start here, with this seven-minute song named "Tonight I" which again has that dark atmosphere which in moments leads you to a different world, where you can close your eyes and see things, maybe memories. The music is quite good, that combination of electronic elements with the acoustic guitar gives a special flavor to the song. This is one of my favorite tracks on this album.

"Signals in the Sky" is a beautiful, yet sad composition that if you are not in a good moment, then you'll be deeply touched by it. The first three minutes are quite melancholic, with some guitar notes and Chris' voice sharing emotions. Then, the song changes a little bit and the electronic elements appear. Different nuances and textures can be appreciated in these eight minutes of a fascinating inner reflection.

The song has finished, however that melancholic sound prevails with "Descending". In moments I think this is an album full of sorrow, for people who want to be alone and share a moment with themselves , relax and make a time of reflection. I don't really know the intention Chris had with his lyrics and with that dark, atmospheric and melancholic sound, but he has succeeded with me, without any doubt.

"White Paint" follows the same path, I am not saying that the album has become repetitive but the essence is practically the same almost in its entirety. I really love his voice and those soft and disarming guitars. The album finishes with the longest track entitled "Lashes", which is a fantastic composition that gathers all the elements presented earlier in the other songs, I mean, the different atmospheres and emotions, the game of voices, the mixture of electronic with acoustic sounds, all together in order to create an original product whose goal is to remain in the listeners mind.

In the case of Lighttown Closure, and Fourteen Twentysix, the goal was reached, since I listened to his music for the first time I felt interested, then I was caught and now I cannot escape. Though it is not what I would call a masterpiece, the way it produces things on me is worth of at least four stars. I recommend you listen to this great music.

Enjoy it!

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