Lotus: Frames Per Second (Album Review)
A swirling chrysanthemum of auditory delicacies offered up on a shiny silver platter, Lotus’ surprise new album, Frames Per Second, clocking in at nineteen songs, is a proverbial feast for fans of the five-petaled jamtronica outfit. After branching out into a new direction for their fun, poppy, and lyric heavy 2016 album Eat The Light, it seems Lotus has returned affectionately to their planted roots, creating an album drenched in deep, dark psychedelic jams, bright golden-light guitar solos, and a gripping fusion of mindfully layered sonic textures.
Starting off with the road-tested crowd pleaser “Cold Facts,” Frames Per Second immediately sets the mood and the tone for the rest of the album. While Lotus albums have always been well known for their sound quality, production value and astute mastering, there is very distinct flavour with Frames Per Second. It feels like a live show. The accompanying documentary that was released alongside the album shows that the songs were tracked live with the whole band, and it is palpable. The whole album plays like a locked-in rollercoaster ride with all the twists and turns of the live Lotus experience.
Outside of the sheer immensity of radiant new Lotus material, Frames Per Second represents a deepening of Lotus, a maturing into what they have always been. Very similar to their jams, each album prior has taken some chances, adventuring out of certain comfort zones in attempt to bring something totally unique back to the Lotus universe. After all of those journeys, this album feels like a return home. There is still a complete and utter freshness to it, but within all of that is total fluidity and complete comfort. It feels like meditation. It feels alive. With Frames Per Second, Lotus isn’t trying to become anything. They just are. It’s from this state of pure be-ing, that this album unfolds. What Lotus represents to me, is the creative heart-space made manifest, and Frames Per Second invites us all to enter into that space with them. It is this pureness that continues to guide me through life. Thank you, Lotus. To delve into the new album and ensuing tour please visit LotusVibes.com Ram Ram, Ganesh Das
