Amber Run - For A Moment I Was Lost

Beim so genannten Rorschach-Test, einem psychodiagnostisches Testverfahren, bekommt die Testperson speziell aufbereitete Tintenklecksmuster vorgelegt. Die Äußerungen, Handhabungen (Drehungen) und die Reaktionszeit werden vom Testleiter notiert und ausgewertet. 

Auf dem Cover von „For A Moment I Was Lost“ sehe ich, während das Album läuft, Felix Archer, den ehemaligen Schlagzeuger von Amber Run, der die Band aus Nottingham vor ihrem zweiten Album verlassen hat. Dreht man das Cover um 90 Grad, so ist, wenn auch etwas undeutlich, das Logo von RCA zu sehen. Das Label droppte Amber Run nach dem Debütalbum „5am“ (2015), obwohl dieses im Vereinigten Königreich bis auf Platz 36 der Charts kam. Vielleicht erklären diese beiden Punkte die düster-melancholische Grundstimmung, die den Großteil des Albums durchzieht. 

Nach einer weiteren Wendung des Covers blicken sich im Profil Roland Orzabal (Tears For Fears) und Paul Draper (Mansun) an - beide könnten den schwelgerischen, cineastischen Klang von „For A Moment I Was Lost“ versinnbildlichen („Insomniac“, „Fickle Game“). Bei der letzten Drehung scheint Thom Yorkes Antlitz im Strudel des „A Moon Shaped Pool“-Covers zu verschwimmen, vermutlich, weil gegen Ende auch Radiohead-Einflüsse zu hören sind („Machine“) und sich Amber Run experimentierfreudig zeigen: erfreulich rockig in „Perfect“ und überflüssig Auto-Tune verliebt in „Haze“. 

There’s a beautifully simplistic feeling sitting here taking it all in; with the majority of the tracks feeling bare (in a sense), but the right kind of exposure that puts you in the moment of the song, right there with the emotion. For example, in the closing track, ‘Wastelands’, we get left with some of the most heart-wrenching words, “I hope you’ll find somebody who you could love like I love you”, set to a simple drum beat and keys to really let things sink in and punch you in the heartstrings. (…)
‘For a Moment, I Was Lost’ also comes at a time where we are all feeling a little hopeless. Whether it’s the political uncertainty we’re all facing, or the beginnings of a new year and re-evaluating our lives. It captures the heartbreaking feelings of failures and your friends and lovers letting you down, or even everything leaving you all together. When everything else seems like it might be falling apart around them, Amber Run found a way to create something spectacular out of it. This album is raw and honest; one could say that their previous label might regret their decision after this album, but without that loss, something like ‘For a Moment’ would’ve never come to be, and I for one am extremely grateful for it’s existence.
(Never Enough Notes)

For the most part, the record is relatively stripped down – with previously releases single Perfect being the great exception to that rule. The album shines where it is in perfect balance between being radio friendly (Insomniac, Stranger, Perfect) and intricate (Fickle Game, Haze).
The simplistic approach does Amber Run well and focusses on Joe Keogh vocals which often compare to Thom Yorke. With a runtime just under 2 minutes, Haze is the album’s centre piece. Frontman Joe Keogh is only backed by a vocal coder, turning his voice into a literal haze. It is probably the closest Amber Run get to Alt-J.
With one member down and rid of the major label stamp, Amber Run step into the light on their sophomore record For A Moment, I Was Lost. It is the product of a band that has grown and gone through the motions of the music industry – which is perhaps best mirrored on Fickle Game. There is a lot of ambition here and craftsmanships that matches it.
(INAG)