Lovelorn Dolls - 2024 - Deadtime Stories

(41:00; Spleen+)

Track list:
1. One Upon a Time 1:06
2. A Heart Cries 3:25
3. Death & Glory 3:30
4. Beautiful Chaos 4:08
5. Broken Dreams 3:23
6. Another Night on Earth 3:18
7. Dreamworld (Dancing Alone) 4:09
8. Dancing at Your Funeral 4:47
9. Little Creatures 2:46
10. The Ghost on the Hill 4:39
11. Diary of Nothing 4:21
12. The End 1:28

Line-up:
Kristell Lowagie - vocals
Bernard Daubresse – guitars, synthesizers
with:
Maxx Maryan - programming, synthesizers


Belgian band Lovelorn Dolls has been around for 15 years or thereabouts, operating under the name Lovelorn for the first couple of years of their career prior to settling on Lovelorn Dolls. The band has half a dozen or so EPs to their name so far, alongside four full length studio albums. "Deadtime Stories" is their latest studio production, and was released through Belgian label Spleen+ in the spring of 2024.

I guess the best overall description to give to the style of music explored on this album is hard rock. This isn't your standard variety of the form though, but rather one that most will place inside a specific subcategory of the form. Probably with Gothic Rock as the best option as far as that matter is concerned.

The songs tend to be steady going affairs, and operate fairly often with a bit of an ebb and flow style of motion. Usually the verse parts are more careful in expression, with a driving bassline often being central and with more careful guitar and keyboard details supplementing the rhythm section and the vocals. The chorus section and other parts of the song tend to be more powerful, with a more prominent and usually darker toned guitar presence, more prominent use of keyboard sounds and often layered ones at that, and a more majestic arrangement and execution in general.

Some orchestral inspired sounds and textures are applied in some of the songs, and various kinds of electronic effects are important elements throughout. Keyboard details of various kinds are often combined with guitars for contrasting details, where tone, timbre and intensity all are used to emphasize the contrast and the tension in these instances. The female lead vocals also provide a natural contrast to the often dominant dark toned landscapes traversed, and emphasize the tension build up provided by the instruments in an efficient manner.

Otherwise we have dark undertones and a bit of an ominous presence as an ongoing feature, and in terms of style I would state that there may be a little bit of a post-punk undercurrent going on at times too. Subtly dramatic and subtly theatrical elements are in place too, but these effects are provided in a more careful and elegant manner. At least in my opinion.

From the striking cover art to the moods and atmospheres explored, I would suggest that this is an album that should be a satisfying experience to those who tend to find Gothic rock and hard rock to be interesting in general. And as far as I'm concerned, this comes across as a solid album on all fronts.

Olav M. Björnsen, June 2024

Links:
https://lovelorndolls.info/
https://www.facebook.com/spleen.plus