As many of you will know I like pop, or to put it more precisely I like good pop. That’s pop where the band or artist has taken time to craft, and lavish care and attention on the song. And this is what Mantis State have done with ‘Lost Without A Trace’.
It’s kinda funky rocky pop with what I, not having youth on my side, might describe as a distinctive 80s’ sound. It’s in those stabbing synths and keyboards, those high vocal harmonies. It drifts in a wonderful way between the sound of Yes on 90215, a big AOR pop hit and something else which I can’t quite put my finger on. I say drifts but that’s unfair, that makes it sound as though the band have just randomly put this together, and they clearly haven’t. These different sounds are built into a series of builds in sound and tempo.
There’s great vocals – there’s a soulful lead vocal and those lovely harmonies, there’s some great synth/keyboard playing. It’s put together wonderfully.
What this all adds up to is music that you can dance to, it’s not dance music, it’s a great pop song that you can dance to. This thing has a beat to die for. The way it changes continuously is fabulous, those keyboard riffs are infectious.
This is a great pop track, a song that leaves you with a huge grin on your face, and aching feet from dancing. Who could ask for more.
