TLF - The Lost Future
Review by Karl Magi
Overall Album Impressions
TLF’s The Lost Future combines his intense vocal performances with songwriting that delves deeply into emotional reflection, struggle, triumph and life's transience. The way in which he mingles well-composed instrumental tracks with powerful songs draws me in, along with the nostalgic sounds that fill the music. In addition, his guest performers add another layer of depth and feeling to the album with their contributions.
I am compelled by the way in which TLF forges together vocal performance and songwriting. Whether it's his own impassioned singing or the expressive performances of his guests, the vocals capture the dramatic and moving emotional explorations in his lyrics. The way in which he reflects on purpose, meaning and existence is powerfully affecting for me. I also enjoy the way in which his songs explore transience, interspersed with triumphant moments.
TLF's ability to write strong melodies is another powerful component that gives The Lost Future depth and power. He can write melodies that infuse his music with emotional ache or fill it with warmth and triumph. No matter which direction he takes, his melodies pierce right to the emotional core of the music. I also enjoy the way in which they support his songwriting and deepen the feelings he creates. I'm also enamored of the contrasting emotions he explores in his melodic writing.
Along with his songwriting and vocal abilities, TLF crafts layered synths nto ear-grabbing compositions on The Lost Future. The synth sounds range from gruff aggression to ethereal smoothness as they shape the textures and emotional tone of the music. I enjoy the way in which he uses 8-bit elements to evoke classic video game music and contribute a gritty, pulsating energy to the music. He also has a strong sense of rhythm that drives the music forward.
I also want to add my appreciation for his guest singers—Jaki Nelson and Elin—who each contribute their distinctive and powerful vocal performances to the album. They add more richness and emotional depth to the music and give it even more meaning for me.
My Favourite Tracks Analyzed
“Eclipse” opens with the sound of a storm raging and an echoing, trumpeting note ringing over threatening bass. The main synth melody has a gentle warmth to it, cut by the massively throbbing drums and dense bass. The lead synth glimmers with delicate, slightly rough-edged light and colossal bass throbs heavily as the guitar slices through.
A towering synth carries a dramatic, enigmatic melody above the heavy weight below it. A gleaming synth flashes and the singer's warmly deep vocals cry out with expression as the gigantic drums and bass drive on. Orchestral synths carry the melody with deep strength, intertwining with the singer's expression-filled vocals. The main melody continues, the lead synth full of a dark majesty. The track ends on delicately dancing piano and trickling water with a reverent choir in the distance.
The narrator asks, "Would you give it up for loving? Would you melt away in hate?" She questions whether this is the moment the song's subject has been dreaming about or just another day. She adds that when the other person feels as if they are fading, "when you know that you are unseen," and when they realize they’re slowly dying, they are "the eclipse that I have been."
A synth surges with slicing energy above explosive drums to open “Lucy.” TLF’s unique voice has a light touch with strong expression, carrying an active melody above the rebounding low end.
Punchy energy fills the percussion, as bursting synth flashes with light, accompanying the galvanizing vocals. A towering synth pours out radiance, carrying the main melody as TLF’s airy voice expresses the lyrics’ complex emotion. The drums drive onwards as a scintillating synth doubles the leaping vocals.
I enjoy the way in which the lyrics are interpreted by TLF here. Now, the song glides into a smoothly washing segment punctuated by gruff synth and sparkling higher notes. The song comes to an end on rough-edged, lambent synth and digital notes fading to quiet.
Our narrator says that everything is a circus and wonders why everyone's dressed in black. He adds that life's sole purpose is the fact that we're never coming back. He talks about a “serenade, so intricate” when we're watching this fake parade. We are “all alone in a soul between too much and no control.”
The storyteller tells the song’s subject, “Lucy, we're all going to die and until then we are wasting our lives” but he reminds her that “we still have tonight.” She's been crying intensely and “longing for that song to sing.” Now choirs shout, “Let the bells of leaving ring!” and tell her to run away.
Our narrator says that “succumbing hearts will never change.” One is “all alone in a soul,” and when life devours you, it does so slowly. He adds that the fireworks start as the coffin is lowered, and when it’s lowered, “your world falls apart.”
A rapidly rushing beat slowly grows in strength alongside a gently flowing melody and the lead singer's vocals to open “Sad/Is/Fight.” TLF’s' voice is full of feeling, carrying the interweaving melody as it actively leaps through the music while the drums and bass pound hard.
The melody’s minor key tinge adds a twist as the drums rush on and the glimmering synth in the distance flows past. The main melody has a hollow, choral quality, and the beats trip as the bass throbs deeply. TLF’s voice carries the song forward, weaving with a shadowy twist as the throbbing low end twists around.
Propulsive drums and bass support the leaping chorus as the open-voiced, melancholy-tinged synth unwinds through the music with a delicate feeling. The track dances on as an ethereal synth glides out, and the vocals slide between the aching melody while the low end pulses. A noble sense of loss fills the notes of the synth in a way that feels deeply touching. The song ends with the main melody crying out and fading away.
The storyteller says that when the song's subject hears him scream for more and for silence, "exits are only painted doors," and he’s looking to do some violence. He adds, "There is no other aim in sight, I'm just a rabbit in the headlight," and as everything sinks down, he feels as if he’s been reborn.
The narrator admits he can never find satisfaction or "feed that appetite." He says that it’s sad and a fight but reiterates that he can’t be satisfied. When the song's subject hears him calling underwater, they know they’re holding a knife behind their back "to cut the candle only shorter."
Our storyteller concludes that when his "true aims get out of sight" he’s just a vampire searching for action. Despite everything continuing to decline, he feels reborn in those circumstances nonetheless.
“Reggie's Anthem” commences with massive, dangerous-sounding bass and smoothly rushing drums. An 8-bit melody with dramatic, dark triumph pouring out of it dances through the track, with driving drums creating an exciting feeling. The melody is joyful and energizing, exploding with liveliness and a sense of adventure.
A surging, shadowy synth rises behind it to create an even greater sense of victory. I enjoy the classic VGM quality of the melody with its instantly engaging nature. A broken drum and bass beat moves beneath the surging, gleaming synth, infusing the music with strength and nobility.
The melody fills me with celebratory wonder, lifting me up with an encouraging sense of battling on. The main melody takes on a warmer, major key feeling for a moment, and then the organ-like synth swells behind the melodic line as the drums and bass explode in a punchy flow, rushing the track to a rapid conclusion.
Gigantic, pulsing drums and slowly echoing synth notes start “Things Will Never Be The Same Again.” Brightly glittering synth rings out above the hard-hitting melody as the chimes flicker and TLF's voice is muffled as he chants. The drums and bass are muscular as the vocals are taken up by Jaki Nelson, deeply moving and grabbing, as the synth rises in luminous chords that spill out through the track while the drums and bass pulsate.
The massive low end rumbles as Jaki Nelson’s vocals ache with feeling and the intensely brilliant synth flares out. The drums flourish, and TLF’s vocals chant, doubled by the flickering chimes, in an enigmatic and twisting melody. The steady synth pulse adds an almost vocal feeling.
Jaki Nelson's vocals capture the heartfelt lyrics as towering synth chords shimmer with powerful encouragement in contrast to the pained melody. A trumpet rings out with dynamic energy, leaping above the insistent low end until the song concludes with a fanfare.
The narrator says he’s got problems sticking right on his coffee mug and asks the song's subject to remind him what their problem is again. He adds that they know they had to leave because they heard a "blurry shot" but are kept in place by gravity. He reflects that "the stars look bright from where we are in outer space" and through the night.
Our storyteller points out that things won’t ever be the same again, adding that it can happen to the best of us. He continues, saying that when "a stranger is looking like a friend," things won’t be the same again. He observes that we’re drifting through space and "stumbling through our times" as we collect everything, both good and bad.
“Like aliens on the run, to hide from city lights,” the narrator says he is still "longing for all we had." He adds that the other person's eyes look tired because "they’ve seen it all." He concludes that he knows they’re out there in the night somewhere.
"Pixelhero on the Way" kicks off with radiant, gruff-edged synth bursts that jubilantly accompany clapping percussion, propelling the exciting melody forward. Elevated synths wind through above the rapidly pulsating low end, creating a sense of intense motion. The drums enter, punching forward as sparkling notes skip through the music, while the bass drives with a hard-edged pulse.
Raised sounds flow and the main melody cries out on a triumphant-sounding synth, victorious and tinged with more pained feelings as it leaps out. The flaring synth, with its gruff edges, adds luminosity as the colossal bass rumbles and oscillates.
A smooth synth carries a melody that hints at emotive ache and darkness. Metallic sounds add a jangling quality, while the drums and bass rush below a noble melody, uplifting me. In the distance, the drums shape the music as the track ends on the main melody, singing out with encouragement and joy.
A nervous warning sound rings out above seething bass to open "Running Down to Metahell" . The bass rushes along with a sharp chip of sound flashing out, while 8-bit tones add a gritty element. These pulsating, dancing tones slip through the music in a minor-key line. I enjoy the dominant power of the low end mingling with flickering 8-bit sounds as the drums rush into a pounding charge.
A brief pause leads into the main melody, which calls out on a medium-high, glimmering synth. The melody is tinged with warmth, moving actively. Choral sounds echo distantly as the low end pounds heavily. Gruff synths dance with twirling motion, while 8-bit notes ring out with clear sharpness and the background swirls smoothly.
Gigantic drums batter again as ominous bass churns below. The drums rush forward and the main melody cries out with hopeful emotion, lifting my heart and filling me with joy. Drums and bass pulse on as scintillating sounds light up the music. A secondary melody brings a more hurting feeling before the track concludes with shiny notes trickling through the distance.
"Better Days" starts with a pipe organ, adding a certain darkness, as TLF’s smooth, expressive voice slowly echoes with a tragic melody. The bass flows underneath as the pipe organ brings a dramatic quality. A heavy kick drum begins to heave, and trickling notes wash through the music.
TLF’s deeply felt vocals build and colossal drums collide as sweeping, string-like synths sing lustrously. The main melody climbs with touching gentleness as TLF captures the essence of the lyrics. Chimes flit with delicate lightness, complementing TLF’s intense emotional delivery. Flashing notes glow within the music, driving home the song’s spirit.
String-like synths dance with tender ease while the gigantic drums pulsate and luscious synths float through. Drums and bass continue pounding as a smooth, glassy synth is joined by soaring, wordless vocals. The track ends on a strummed guitar and resonant pipe organ.
The storyteller reveals that the song’s subject didn’t find their way or take the chance given to them. He says, “You find your dreams in blankness” and emphasizes life’s relentless nature with them. He describes the subject counting stars and waiting for one to fall, praying for a guiding vision and for their “tragic mission to come.”
The narrator questions the subject: ‘What do you believe in? What’s keeping you sane?” He wonders what makes them wait “so patiently for better days” and even consider that better days might come. He declares, “It’s high time for being high, with your eyes raised to the sky,” asking, “Is there any life on Mars? Oh, I need to know!”
The storyteller empathizes, admitting he understands the difficulty of standing oneself. He offers solace, concluding, “I can take you anywhere, any way from here, away from here.”
Conclusion
The Lost Future is full of depth and creativity, blending intense vocal performances with rich, emotionally resonant songwriting. Its intricate melodies, pulsating rhythms and thought-provoking lyrics explores the fragility of existence and the enduring human spirit.
