Is the title of an album an indicator of all that is to come? If so, “Lost Hope Society” by The Music Liberation Front Sweden might prove to be something of a downer and would thus be less than inspirational at a time when the governments of the world seem to have collectively forgotten what global armageddon actually means.
I also had suspicions that this album might be another example from the ambient genre - Subexotic is, after all, a label associated with much in the way of ambient music and especially at the arty end of said ambient genre – but The Music Liberation Front Sweden are, whilst still blessing us with the loops and soundbites expected of such sonic explorations of mood, determined to make a more pointed musical point. This album therefore requires more attention than might be expected with the songs – if as such they are to be considered – steering a steady course between the reverse side of the commercialism coin and the generated opinions of those moderated by polite, even diffident, discontent.
This album is not one to generate enthusiasm on first acquaintance and is perhaps somewhat sonically unsettling as the very stylistic cues that would suggest the potential that “Lost Hope Society” has for matters related to relaxation has been deliberately derailed by the injection of looped discord. I would suppose that might even be the artistic intent and it is therefore quite reasonable to assume that those whose tastes have long since drifted from the three minute pop song will once again find their reward in the company of The Music Liberation Front Sweden. Incidentally, it would appear that The Music Liberation Front Sweden actually originate in Portsmouth. Oh dear, there goes all the glamour.