Underpond - Between Lost and Hope

Review by Karl Magi

Overall Album Impressions

Underpond’s Between Lost and Hope has a melancholy beauty that is emphasized by the AI generated singers and their mixture of their mixture of synthetic sound and human emotion:. In my mind, it generates images of lonely androids calling out into outer space.

A feeling of mournful loss permeates the music on Between Lost and Hope. It is touched by tentative hope and dreamy drifting emotion that lends all of the songs a deeply affecting quality. I am drawn to the pained expression that fills many of the melodies that unfold on the album.

At first, I wasn’t sure what to make of the use of AI vocalists on the album, but I’ve come to find the idea intriguing. There’s a mixture of synthetic sound and human feeling in the algorithm generated voices that captures the often pained emotional content in the lyrics. I am intrigued by what the mixture of digital generation and human feelings says about that balance in our daily lives.

Layering and intertwining synth sounds with gargantuan bass and powerful drums creates intense auditory imagery on Between Lost and Hope. There are light, feathery sounds mixed with warm, rounded synths along with synths that capture intensely hurting emotion. I enjoy the propulsive weight and energy of the percussion and bass as it contrasts with the ache of the higher synth sounds.

My Favourite Songs Reviewed

“Free Falling” begins as gossamer synth flows out and a breezy sound sweeps.Solid bass pulsates as warm piano-like chords ring out. The AI vocalist has a robotic quality that still exudes emotion. I am intrigued by the idea of a synthetic vocalist still sounding expressive. Medium-high synth trembles in broad, glowing lines and bass throbs.

Snare drum and kick drum move in a steadying pulse as celestial synth glides. The resonant, non-human voice feels strangely engaging as it sings. The vocal melody has a soothes above low bass and a shaping drumbeat. The song ends on a lonely synth sweep and open-sounding synth.

The narrator speaks of running far away, “anywhere from nowhere.” She says they ought to “fall away, straight away” and catch air to fly away as they are “free falling.”

A gritty, medium-low synth supports elevated, crystalline chimes that sparkle slowly into space to open “Lost.” Rounded, gentle synth flows around the AI vocalist’s pained feeling sound as massive bass undulates and drums splash across the track. There’s a surging motion to the bass and ticking drums.

Pleasingly tragic fragility fills the vocal melody as a bright, medium-high synth pulse matches the undulating bass. Gruff guitar growls, carrying a melody combining loss and yearning anticipation.

Rippling, string-like synth spins out slow arpeggios while the drums and bass urge the song onward. The guitar swirls in sharp lines that are full of tentative hope and we end on glittering chimes,

The storyteller talks about being lost with a blinded heart as she keeps on finding, asking “where are you hiding?” and wondering if she’ll find them. She says that everything is alright and contrasts that by saying nothing is okay.

Our narrator goes on to state that “every single day is rewind and delay” whether they are bright or “all the rainy Sundays.” She talks about the “slowly fading lights around my mellow grays” because she’s lost.

“White Noise” commences as rapidly oscillating, elevated synth cascades. A whispered male voice repeats the words “white noise” as hard-edged bass growls. Raised, shimmering synth levitates above the rebounding, flying drumbeat. AI vocals carry a melody combining dynamism and mournful emotion as wandering, spinning synth twists through the song.

Wispy, aching vocals drift to effectively express the lyrics.The song glides a segment in which starry synth carries a tentative, lost-feeling melody before drums and bass return to propel the song onward. The breathy hurt in the AI vocals creates emotion as rapidly twirling, raised synth notes dance over the throbbing weight underneath. The song ends on cosmic floating.

“White noise” is what the narrator hears as she talks about living at the moment with “systems down.” As noise is discovered, there’s “vivid sound.” In the midst of the white noise, there’s a dark voice as the storyteller talks about making a “bad choice again.”

Piano-like notes chime with brittle light as reverent, misty sounds swirl to start “The Lonely Rebel.” A robotic voice whispers that “there is a giant space inside your shell, it is the hiding place for the lonely rebel.” Sharp-edged, slowly revolving synth spins over swelling bass. Stuttering snare drum bursts as cutting arpeggios spin and solid bass grows.

Gleaming, wide-sounding lead synth carries an ear-pleasing melody mingling triumph and loneliness as sharper arpeggios unwind. Below the arpeggios, heavy bass shivers. Rounded, digital sounding notes reverberate into space, delicately touching as the brittle piano echoes.

Arpeggiating, medium-high synth slices clearly as digital sounding, tentative notes repeat a melancholy pattern. The shining melody sings out in sadness-tinged lines while clean arpeggios whirl as drums shape the music and huge bass rises. The song ends on trailing, digital notes and tremulous piano.

“Sound of Sun” opens as towering bass is joined by a steadily flowing, worshipful sound. Nasal-sounding, medium high arpeggios undulate and the AI vocalist’s caressing voice carries a wonderfully tender, wistful melody. Trumpeting synth echoes and drums shape the music, popping into a steady beat.

Full-sounding, brassy synth echoes out in quickly fading notes while bass throbs below. The vocals trail slowly, full of ache and dreaming feeling as smooth drums add form above massive bass. Glimmering synth notes slip along, unmoored and lightly touching before drums snap in to propel the song.

Broad, rising synth adds a majestic quality to the song. Raised, slightly diffused synth carries the lonely, hopeful melody while the underlying low end drives the music. The hurting AI vocals call out and the song concludes with spaced out sound.

Sound fills the “long night” as the storyteller talks about the last hours of sun. The stars are “shining like sound” after “glowing flowers of sun.” The sun’s sound will go on “now and ever” and the narrator is feeling better.

Breathy wordless vocals flow out into open space as angular, glistening synth repeats in a cascading pattern to begin “Hope” as piano chords slowly expand. Wind sweeps as the warm, gentle AI vocals enjoyably enfold my ears and the diaphanous background flows.

Lambent synth motes slowly flare and fade as the piano notes grow. The AI singer combines synthetic and human characteristics as shining synth flickers. Bass creaks and computerized sounds pulse to add form.

The vocal melody mixes tragedy with more encouraging emotions as the steady drums and solid bass create forward motion. Glittering sounds rise and fade just as rapidly. The vocals are full of distance as the fluttering, sharply angled notes ripple to finish the song.

Our narrator addresses the song’s subject, asking them to breathe her in along with the “hazy night” and for the last time “hold tight.” She talks of hope as they get ready for a “sunset drive”with lights rushing past them. She speaks of how “hand in hand I hold you so tight” as they are bonded by neon lights. As the song concludes she talks about breathing in the other person and hoping on them as well.

“Sweet Kelly” comes alive as waves wash with calming motion and undulating, muffled synth slides along. Medium-high, sparkling synth carries a softly tranquil melody that contrasts well with a sharper guitar pattern. Colossal bass swells as the drums shape the music. Calming AI vocals sound like a gentle android talking about how “Sweet Kelly” is “my sun, smiling and fun” whether they relax or run “we are one.”

Higher synth bends and caresses as the dynamic, gleaming and round-sounding synth carries a dynamic melody that still feels vulnerable above the skipping drums and luscious bass while our AI vocalist carries a breathy melody while brighter synth shines with settling light and underneath the drums and bass keep on moving.

The lead melody combines energy and more pained emotions as the “singer” adds an element of cosmic drift to it as the guitar keeps vibrating wile the drums snap and tap and the bass powerfully buoys up the other elements as we fade on waves.

Conclusion

Between Lost and Hope creates deeply human emotional responses through synthetic elements. It is full of intense feeling woven from digitalization. The concept of using synthesis to make us feel speaks to the increasing integration of human beings and technology. I enjoy how this album engaged me and provoked thought.