LOVELORN
Ah … unrequited love. It’s the driving force behind humanity’s most heartfelt arts and, sometimes, the safest way to sigh over bygone affections that never completely fade.
It was the breakup this past winter of beloved psych-punkers Creepoid, from Philadelphia, that has given rise to a new band, Lovelorn, and a glimpse of the old flame. Husband and wife Anna and Patrick Troxell, joined by fellow Creepoid alumnus Peter Urban, have reset their musical focus without losing their ardor for fringe-y psychedelia or their DIY spirit.
“We hope people dig it, but we’re not aiming to simply be Creepoid Part II,” Anna Troxell told Philly music journalist Megan Matuzak earlier this year.
Creepoid’s demise, though ritualized with a final show that let fans say goodbye, was nevertheless a shock to the city’s tight-knit punk and indie scene. But in the short time since, these friends since childhood have managed to give their admirers hope for the future.
As Philly’s The Deli observed in a Lovelorn review, “Anna’s vocals serve as the candle light leading the way through a labyrinth, as the backend marches in line and the guitar stirs, doubling down on the menacing atmospherics.” Indeed, the new(erish) outfit would be a perfect sonic fit for a fully-gonzoed Alex Cox rock ’n’ roll noir western.
The band operates with the comfort of a built-in base and an almost-mythological backstory. What could possibly go wrong? Exploring sound a bit farther away from the center? Rededicating themselves to those explosive disruptions of quiet that make awkward people dance? Oh lord, these linguistic tangles … and how the lovelorn Lovelorn can cause the requisite derangement for a flight of poesy.
Make no mistake, in the same space where they go alt-weird, they’re also comforting and warming — the familiarity of an old friend you trust. How perfect, then, that the band’s actual biography has played out as it has. To call them Creepoid Part II wouldn’t be right, but it wouldn’t be wrong, either. If you miss the former, you’ll love the latter. If you never knew what was, you’ll appreciate how they’ll make you feel for it.
Lovelorn performs with Beatles Haircut, Lion Country Ferrari September 21 at Voltaire in West Palm Beach. lovelornphilly.bandcamp.com ~ Abel Folgar
