Lost Decade - What It Was

Review by Karl Magi

Overall Album Impressions

Lost Decade’s “What It Was” explores love, loss, passion and joy through an innovative and intensely pleasing blend of synth-based music with funk, soul, hip hop and slam poetry. The band is anchored by Chenelle Roberts’ impressive vocal performances and supported by the musical talents of Derek Leugner and Brandon Smith. For this album, they’ve also assembled a stellar cast of guest artists, each bringing a unique style to the music. The intoxicating blend of nostalgia and modernity captivates me.

At the heart of “What It Was” is Chenelle Roberts. Her range is broad and powerful, capable of expressing everything from brokenhearted tenderness to soaring joy. She captures moments of soulful contemplation and belts out tunes with conviction. The way she uses her voice conveys the nuance and emotional depth of the songwriting, keeping my ears locked onto the beauty of what I’m hearing. She stands out as one of the most talented vocalists I’ve encountered in the synth-driven music scene in quite some time.

Derek Leugner and Brandon Smith weave musical tapestries that mingle funk, disco, ’90s freestyle rap, jazz and touches of synthwave. The result is music that calls back to the past while remaining fresh and energetic, gripping me with its lush dynamism. Together, they create a complex, layered soundscape with pin-sharp production. Combined with superb melodic writing and thoughtful detail, the end result is joyful and deeply satisfying.

Tea Fannie, aloT of Poetry, KTheChosen and Gbohunmi bring their indivdual charm and skill to “What It Was”. Each contributor showcases their own strengths and the way they integrate themselves into the emotional and musical flow of the record enhances the power and engagement of the songs as they unfold.

My Favourite Tracks Analyzed

“Set Me Free” commences as a shimmering note pattern sweeps upward, rounded synth textures trickling as Chenelle Roberts’ expansive, expressive and soulful voice carries the joyful melody with celebratory emotion. Trumpeting notes flash as a glistening synth broadcasts hopeful radiance.

Roberts presses the words home with power, her heartfelt delivery wrapping the melody around me. The drumbeat jumps with exuberance as confident joy pours outward. aloT of Poetry intensifies the feeling, adding another expressive layer. The funky, twisting main melody dances freely, filled with happiness and release.

Jazz influences add richness as exploding rhythm contrasts with filigreed sounds. aloT of Poetry’s spoken-word performance is rich and lyrical, capturing the song’s emotional essence. She weaves some beautiful imagery, speaking of never having known something "so beautifully terrifying" and describing how the air in her lungs tastes sweeter when she's with the other person.

I am enamored of her imagery, full of meaningful moments as she describes two people as "dancers in the moonlight" and talks of "symphonies between our souls.” I enjoy her description of their love as radiating "a light even Venus would envy.” Flickering notes caress my ears and the feelings remain strong and true as the song ends.

Although she doesn’t “know where you came from,” the narrator feels the song’s subject is a gift who keeps on giving. She’s not sure how they’ve taken her pain and “set it free.” The other person continues to elevate her and she can’t quite believe it. “Darkness has no chance against you,” as this person carries a light that illuminates her from within.

She adds, “Even when I drive you crazy, you keep on coming ’round and letting me be.” They’ll continue to fight for their love because it’s “pushing through for the world to see.” She’s got everything she needs and declares, “You take this love and you just let it free.”

After a distorted record scratch, a cowbell moves with a slowly wobbling synth before “1993 (Back in the Day)” starts. Chenelle Roberts’ voice is velvety, carrying a delicately emotional melody. The locked-in rhythm pops as a synth glistens with gentle luminosity while the underlying pulsation adds shape.

Chimes flicker and the spoken-word part showcases Tea Fannie’s smooth, rhythmic delivery as the beat adds form. Chenelle Roberts’ voice is breath-warmed and full of loss and dreamy remembrance, drawing me into the song. The beats are solid, with the metallic ringing of the cowbell adding energy.

The chorus contributes passionate emotion and affection. Scintillating notes descend before Tea Fannie adds her freestyling, creating joyful contemplation as Chenelle Roberts’ vocals intertwine with a silken feeling. The active foundation shifts and the music closes out with static.

As she reminisces, the storyteller asks if the other person remembers “all the simple days,” when they believed good things came easily. She recalls how they were “living it up another night, innocent and free.” Back then, she knew just what to do and her dreams were coming true. She adds, “I was so into you, all we had been through,” and longs to experience those feelings again.

“It’s nostalgic how I’m moving, the ’80s they be grooving,” she says, describing a moment in time she won’t lose. The memories leave her with a soothing feeling. “Yesterday was always fun, yesterday I thought you were the one,” though times have changed. Despite that, she insists, “I know just what we could dream.”

She recalls “making out for hours at the bus stop, holding hands at our favourite lunch shop.” She remembers cuddling for hours and how “butterflies got my stomach in knots.” In those days, she felt like “we could conquer the world and could care less what they thought.” Elderly people stopped to say “aww,” and she concludes, “Back in the day we did little, doing a lot.”

“Can’t Live Without Your Love” begins as a synth, lambent like city lights, joined by a saxophone carrying an upbeat melody. Chenelle Roberts’ vibrant voice vibrates with impassioned feeling as the catchy chorus bounces, the funky guitar line adding shimmying force. Once again, the saxophone erupts with unbridled positivity, singing the celebratory melody.

Chenelle Roberts’ performance is full of vibrant emotion, which I find intensely compelling. The chorus soars again, flashing with boundless happiness as the saxophone bursts with freedom and trickling, open-voiced metallic sounds arpeggiate with unique sonic dynamism. The sax solo pours out encouragement and conviction while rebounding percussion drives on. Above it all, Chenelle Roberts’ voice climbs with lush power and intensity before the song closes.

“When thinking about our wilder days, we were dancing every night away,” the narrator reflects, admitting she has something she needs to say. She explains, “I don’t know which way to go, I want you to know I can’t live without your love.”

She continues, “All of this is very new, but I think that we’re far overdue,” concluding that expressing her love for the other person is all that she can do.

Quickly dancing notes beam to open “It’s Over.” Varied percussion is joined by a synth exuding shining clarity while the bass growls. Chenelle Roberts’ voice is deeply emotive, gripping me with intensely felt loss and love. The bursting beat is joined by radiance flashing past.

She uses her wide range and luscious timbre to capture every ounce of emotional depth. The synth gleams affectionately as the vocals levitate with reminiscence and pain, slowly reaching realization. Tiny sparks of light glint while the rhythm rebounds and a sharply illuminated synth trembles. As the lyrics unfold, affection and resignation intertwine while starlit keys and gigantic bass intermingle, the vocals soaring with heartfelt intensity before the song ends.

As the storyteller points out that she and the song’s subject have been moving “in a wayward direction over the last few years,” she adds that being comfortable isn’t an option “when we don’t hold each other near.” She isn’t sure if the other person can see what’s happening between them, or recognize the lack of trust they exhibit. She adds, “You don’t even notice that we both have changed our ways,” and they can’t remain locked in constant fighting as the other person accuses her of lying.

“I don’t know when it happened, it’s killing me inside,” the narrator confesses, knowing the song’s subject is unhappy and urging them to open their eyes. She points out that venturing down memory lane isn’t going to change anything now. She continues, “There is nothing that’s going to save us, regardless of what we avowed.” Now she finds herself accusing the other person of lying and concludes that it’s over, while saying, “I will never stop loving you, but it’s over.”

“Can I Get Your Number?” starts with banging orchestra hits and swings into action with an undeniable groove. Chenelle Roberts’ vocals are playful and full of flirtation as the orchestra hits slap back in. A wildly ringing, bell-like synth joins her exuberant, fun-loving performance, grabbing hold of me while the rhythmic pulse radiates funky joy. Bell-like notes dance with shimmying dynamism, matching the passion broadcast by the vocalist.

The low end locks firmly into the pocket as the vocals vault with irresistible feeling, while a synth adds a steel pan sound. Now KTheChosen enters with fun, free-flowing rhyme schemes as mellifluous bells levitate and the steel pan timbre vibrates. He captures the light-hearted spirit perfectly, his flows slick and confident. The beat continues to bounce with hip-swinging ease before an old-school ringtone closes the song.

“When we met it was different, baby and we never had the time,” but things have changed for the narrator and now she’s looking good. The moment feels right as she asks for the song subject’s number, adding, “You know you want this, baby.” She admits she’s being a little forward, but “We’re young, there’s no need to take it slow.” She wants to go somewhere together because “I’ll make you want to call my name,” promising, “We’ll be up all night until the daylight breaks.”

The second storyteller responds, “Baby, let me get your line! Oh, you decline? That’s fine.” He knows she gets asked out all the time because she’s “a cutie with a caboose, make the fellas get loose.” He imagines what they could do together as he asks her to call him, promising, “I will send you a message way quicker than a pigeon.”

He adds, “Before you read more, you gotta close the door, the next part isn’t suitable for children,” urging the other person to “come a little closer, continue conversation, get a little warmer, give you a demonstration.” Calling himself the love doctor and her his patient, he says, “Lay on the table, begin the operation.”

In conclusion, he declares, “Operator, can I get a connection to the lady over there lookin’ in my direction? Can’t help but stare, picking up good vibrations.”

Softly illuminating phrases move with a surging synth and thunderous drums to begin “My Way.” A guitar slices with clean edges as Chenelle Roberts’ vibrant, compelling vocals carry the mysteriously broken melody, while the driving low end growls with ferocious power. She captures the emotional depth of the song as the guitar slashes with fierce brightness and the rhythmic pulse surges onward. Her vocals rise with intensity as the synth cascades, haunting the entire track.

Gbohunmi’s rhymes are arresting as they move through the music. Lines such as “you left me in the depths, all alone down under, torn asunder” and the evocative “Time’s arrow moves ever slowly, so consistent, only flowing” stand out strongly. I’m also drawn to the verse: “those who are knowing live in anticipation, it can be the key to their emancipation from the fear, from the dread, from the demons living in their head.”

As the song unfolds, the hammering beat forcefully propels the resonant lyrics while the synth glows with dawn light. Raised notes descend like broken crystal as the shattering beat explodes and meditative sounds drift in the distance. The defiance expressed through the lead singer’s range and depth is vivid. The guitar howls again with blues-inflected feeling before climbing roughly, exuding unbridled energy and the song comes to an end on solo vocals.

Time moves rapidly and the storyteller hopes the song’s subject can feel it, adding that “these last fears, they will haunt you.” She tells the other person they’ll have to follow through, knowing she must go her own way. “Not gonna hide it, I’m not gonna fade away, I’m not gonna cry today, just gonna fight it.” She speaks of loneliness and asks if the other person can feel it too, vowing to hold on until they submit, haunted by fears they must face.

“Rise” comes into being with glimmering chimes and a solidly pulsing underpinning beat. Metallic sounds flash delicately as Chenelle Roberts ‘ voice squeezes every ounce of feeling from the lyrics, pouring out like liquid honey through the music. The swinging groove is slow and steady, while a celebratory synth rings with brilliance and the bass adds robust undergirding.

Chenelle Roberts takes my heart and warms it with her expressive, vibrant performance while the heavy underlayer throbs. Her vocals create engagement as the synth intertwines with an aching melody full of impassioned dynamism. The broken beat thunders and trips, moving alongside synths that tower and snarl. String-like sounds levitate as gossamer lines weave between the jagged edges of the percussion. The vocals rise again with echoing, touching feeling before the song closes on skipping drums and bass.

“This road is lonely and so cold,” and it holds nothing golden for the narrator. She is “unsure of where this path will go, who knows,” yet insists on continuing forward through trust in oneself. Superficialities cannot bring true happiness and she reminds the song’s subject that fulfillment will come “if you could see just where you’re supposed to be and all of the gifts that you possess.”

“You fear your wish will not come true, you’re paying the fines” that are overdue. The storyteller adds, “so then you stumble, feel like you can’t continue.” She reminds the listener that their vision is skewed by negativity, urging them to trust themselves and remember that material things will never bring true happiness.

Conclusion

“What It Was” is an effervescent mixture of exciting music, skillfully delivered lyrics and rhymes that spark and burn with intensity. Its movement from playfulness to darker themes creates a wide emotional range and it is never less than engaging and enjoyable.