The Love X Nowhere Get High Score Blackout

The Love X Nowhere is an interesting proposition. This is a band that hangs around the murky waters of being sort of like Coldplay but with those soaring moments only a band like the Doves could provide. Then, when you throw in their tendency to sound something like Pink Floyd on lithium you run into all sorts of hazy grey areas as to what exactly The Love X Nowhere are actually all about. It's an interesting dilemma that leads to a fascinating listen on the groups fourth album, High Score Blackout.

Moody, psychedelic and somewhere just short of lush and expansive, High Score Blackout is an album that plays with your head. This is a record that clearly has the ability to be something like a missing chapter in Coldplay's life but at the same time, the band jumps on rockets headed for the outer arms of the galaxy to play a dizzying concoction of jazzy space jams that will leave your head spinning. It's hard to decide which is really better because clearly these guys are unreal musicians and lay it down on each and every track. It's a close call but the biggest problem I find with High Score Blackout is the vocals are just a little to dramatic for my taste. I love bands like Doves who manage to pack in loads of dramatic emotion in their songs without getting too blatant about it, it's something that Love X Nowhere has yet to master, but when they do...watch out.

As it stands though, High Score Blackoutis a phenomenally played and thought out album. The nine minute jazz odyssey that is the title track is truly something to listen to over and over again on headphones in a dark room and clearly demonstrates where it is this band is coming from. It's impressive stuff and this is a band that clearly has it and knows it and isn't afraid to show it off. They do a good job as so much of High Score Blackout is a fascinating ,note taking kind, listening. While not epic pop in the traditional sense, Love X Nowhere have done a fantastic job of coming up with stuff that's bigger than life itself and your ears are the beneficiary of that approach. That being said, High Score Blackout is a great album that's packed with all sorts of big songs that will keep your ears gripped for hours on end.