Album Review :: The Lost Revival :: The Greatest Scam Ever Pulled

Written by: Andrea Janov, CC2K Music Editor

 The Lost Revival :: The Greatest Scam Ever Pulled is self-released and is available now. 

The Lost Revival’s The Greatest Scam Ever Pulled is kinda new wave, kinda Industrial, kinda film noir lounge-y jazz, and kinda creepy with a raspy voice and thumping drums that lures you in with a seductive pull. Using keyboards, piano, saxophone, and cello in addition to the more conventional instruments the create songs that are full of beauty yet with a hint of darkness. I cannot get the look and ambiance of the movie Dark City out of my head as I was listening to this album.

The vibe of the album transports the listener into a film noir; the albums spans the gamut of atmospheres from menacing to sensual. It takes you into a dark bar where smoke lingers in the air, women are painted flawless with makeup, men are dress to the nines, and you don’t know who is on the take.

From beginning to end, this record is a narrative, so it is hard to pull out some tracks to highlight. But here goes, the album begins with the upbeat sounding new wave-esq Here With My Name, that introduces you to the foreboding content that will follow on the rest of the album. Two Minus One Equals One has a bluesy swing beat that will get any couple dancing too close on the dance floor, but the lyrics are anything but cozy. It begins with, “here is blood on the kitchen floor” and continues to get darker. Ma Cherie is frenzied chaos and Brand New Day has a calming cadence that does make you believe that this is a new beginning (it even ends with whistling). Chasing After Me is slow, melancholy, and haunting track.

This is a super unique album that took me by surprise, grabbed a hold of me, and really sucked me into its world and spit me out at the end. 

Check out the video for Two Minus One Equals One.