Lorelei - Everyone Must Touch the Stove

The Washington DC based Lorelei originally formed right around 1990 as a five piece but was quickly stripped down to a trio after the release of their first single. Their initial stint together lasted all of six years before calling it quits after they released their only full-length, Everyone Must Touch the Stove on Slumberland in 1994. The album was released sort of right on the tail end of the whole shoegaze wave of the early nineties, which may have actually been a good thing for the band because it proves to be one of the more interesting releases that still sort of falls into that category. While there are plenty of lush and blanketed moments of distortion scattered throughout the album, it draws from many other sources as well. The band enlisted the use of a number of different instruments on Everyone Must Touch the Stove, which is what truly makes this album much more fun listen than many other albums that fall under the same umbrella. I imagine an album like this seemed sort of out of left field for what people might have expected, however the hint of experimentalism that it contains definitely gathers it some respect from at least me. It’s different, while still managing to be highly listenable. Songs like “Throwaway” and “Inside the Crimelab” are a couple of prime examples of the bands overall approach to sort of expand the genre in a way.

Lorelei – Thigh for a Leg [MP3]
Lorelei – Inside the Crimelab [MP3]

Lorelei reformed back in 2003 resulting in the recording of a three song 12'' called Informed by the Future that was released on the bands own label, Textile Sounds. The band apparently has plans to release material this year, which will great to hear. Also, be sure to check out the bands EP Asleep, which was precursor to the full-length. Well worth checking out. If the tunes above are of interest then please by all means head on over to the Slumberland website and pick up Everyone Must Touch the Stove.