Every year there will be a new act that comes along and sweeps you off your feet. That’s the beauty of new music, and while it’s only relatively early in the year, few new artists have provided the same spark as The Lost Letters.
A union between Ben J Heal (who has previously raised hell as cowman, Hitobashira-ni, morimori, Coaxial), and Taiwanese singer, Fulya, the pair began their journey as The Lost Letters in 2023. In this instance, Fulya proves to be the calming influence on Heal, whose caustic tendencies showcased in the projects noted above are non-existent here. With The Lost Letters, it’s a case of Fulya guiding Heal through to a sound world he’s never inhabited.
Tied together by the mastering whisperer that is Carl Saff, the duo’s self-titled debut album will be one of the slowcore records of 2024. There’s no point beating around the bush, that’s just the way it is. Alongside Joy Dimmers, both bands reignite the fires of one of the most important periods of music in our generation.
The Lost Letters is an album filled with sunroof sway and slow-motion gravitas. The sleepy-eyed swoon of South Sea –a song radiating with a warmth that harbours the notion of comfort. Unlike the following track Cecile, where The Lost Letters carve out the kind of droning sadcore that occupies a space between Red House Painters and Bowery Electric. With emotive build-ups and riffs that echo through the labyrinth, it’s one of those moments where the first note stops you completely in your tracks.
The Lost Letters - The Lost LettersSuch as the emotional weight of a song like Cecile, you wonder whether it’s a case of peaking too early, but The Lost Letters don’t fall into such traps. With eerie build-ups that add just the right amount of darkened tone to your dreams, Cut is a response to the stateliness of Slint and Codeine, oscillating between the two.
And the duo continues to stretch their songcraft on Root Route and Crystal Skies – pastoral-inspired songs tailor-made for lonely landscapes. It’s sad music in search of hope, and it doesn’t recede on Amending. Another acoustic-led number, Fulya’s sing-speak snippets tower above the competition with something emotionally raw. It runs deep in what is equal parts fraught and broken.
These are circumstances where The Lost Letters find their best results, and there is none better than the sombre sonics of Sails and Soul’Wester. Something that mirrors those depression-crippled mornings where you can’t get out of bed. It’s these morose realities where The Lost Letters offer comfort. The same could be said for slowcore in general, and that’s why many bands in this space resonate so deeply with their listenership. The tone strikes a nerve and is instantly relatable, and in a world where communication is as fragmented and damaged as it’s ever been, bands like The Lost Letters offer an olive branch and, dare I say it, a little slice of hope.
The Lost Letters is out via Cruel Nature Records / Coju Records. Purchase from Bandcamp.
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