Singles

Lotus Mason - Dream Surreal

Alex Yau 12/12/2010

Rating: 2/5

Blair Jolland's had his fingers in a fair share of musical pies. He fronted the critically acclaimed El Hula and the Thin Men. His voice has been compared to Wainwright married with Bowie and now he's got a new project - Lotus Mason.

It's easy to see what Jolland's Lotus Mason are trying to do here. With the sonic build ups of Joshua Tree U2 on 'Dream Surreal' and the glum and melancholic aura of 'Signs of Life', Lotus Mason's aim seems to be that a spectacular one. An aim that tries to reach a peak of musical hyperbole but where bands such as Coldplay or Muse have succeeded, Lotus Mason have failed in hitting that crucial peak.

The songs aren't intolerable but they do sound like a half rate version of the bands mentioned
previously. There's nothing that really hooks you in. I'd imagine if you were to walk around
Morrison's and you heard their take on Muse or Coldplay, Dreams Surreal might be it.