lost spaces' "no-vacancy" [Review]

Now and then, you’ll see an album pop up in your recommendations and you’re immediately drawn to it. It could be the eye-catching artwork, or maybe the name of the project catches you off guard. It could even be the artist’s name that just makes you want to learn more. Back sometime in 2019, I saw the album “no-vacancy” pop up in my feed by lost spaces. It was a really fun album and I enjoyed it on release, but I didn’t pay it too much mind. Then for some reason a couple of years later, the album was stuck in my head. I barely remembered anything about the album, all I knew was that it had some vaporwave-esque album art and the first track was a phone call. After a lot of digging, I managed to find it and it was just as fun to listen to as the day I lost it.

Released on August 9th, 2019, “no-vacancy” is the band’s debut album, consisting of all previous singles and several new songs.

lost spaces is a Malaysian-based band headed by multi-instrumentalist singer/songwriter Samuel Lopez. With the hit single “fake.guitars” that was released the year prior. The band used that momentum and kept releasing single after single right up until the album’s debut. It’s a delightful synth-pop romp that draws inspiration from R&B and soul music while not taking itself too seriously. With that said, the album is themed around love and the struggle of modern-day romance.

The album starts with “voicemail-01” a recording of a phone call to the Dorian motel. A woman calls to reserve room 303 but to her surprise, the motel is permanently closed. After getting hung up on, she calls back to find the number has been disconnected. While all of this is happening we hear a melodic synth reminiscent of a harp playing in the background. According to an article by DeconRecon, Lopez explains that the motel is a metaphor for his heart. The motel closing represents that he’s no longer letting anyone into his life to prevent him from being hurt.

he first real track on the album is “bad.motel”, a funky synth and guitar-filled song. This album is super chill and something you can have on in the background and just enjoy passively. The simple and delicate synths shine through in this song and with a lot of groovy guitar work, you immediately know what you’re in for. Going off of the motel metaphor, Lopez is anxious to let someone into his life. While he’s well aware there’s a hole in his heart waiting to be filled, the fact that he very well might get hurt leaves him rather paranoid.

The third single released by the band, as well as the third track on this record is “boxset.girlfriend” which might be the strongest track on the album. It’s an incredibly fun piece of music with a great music video to boot. With just solid guitars, drums, and synths, it’s an absolute groove. Each song on this record has a unique set of chords from the synth that you latch on to right away. It’s an upbeat pop song that hard to get out of your head. Lyrically speaking, this track relays the message of falling for someone who will pretty much be out of reach, with the “boxset” in this case being someone or a character from TV.

The second single produced by the band is up next. “instant.romance” had some changes to it once it came to the album. There were two monologues in the track originally, with the first about halfway into the song and the second coming at the end. You can hear them removed in the album version and you’ll also notice that the track has been cut down by about 20 seconds. The monologues discussed how mundane love has gotten in modern dating. Lopez goes on to explain that he’s in a place where he’s not fit to deal with his emotions properly.

In an interview with BURO Lopez explains that “not.callingyou” is a song about a girl he met at a party and while he was interested in her to some degree, she loved to play games, which is something he wasn’t about. The big highlight of this track would be the pre-chorus and chorus where the guitar lines up with Lopez's vocals stunningly. The guitars here are stellar and just work so well.

“drunk-dial.confessions” is the follow-up to the previous track where Lopez does end up calling the girl who was playing games with him. It’s one of the more laid-back and lo-fi tracks on the record, with a super distorted and twangy synth. It sounds almost wobbly and shaky, kind of like a memory of being drunk. There’s also a monologue in the song with Lopez discussing how he’s giving up on love. He’s only giving love a chance when he’s been drinking and because of that, past relationships haven’t ended up working.

“soft.tides” might just be the most synth-heavy song on the album. Nearly every instrument here sounds like it’s from a synth other than the guitar we hear during the chorus. While that’s not a bad thing, the guitars across the album have been standout. However, the heavy synth usage does lend a more emotional connection to this track. Lopez is pouring his heart out, opening his heart, and letting love in.

Straight out of the 80’s is “discohaze”, a disco song that features JAIE on vocals. Her breathy vocals are intoxicating and add a level of mystique to this song. Once again, this track’s guitars are incredibly groovy. It truly feels like this song was made at the height of disco and came out decades later. This feels like the first real love song on the album, with the additional vocals and singing about just getting lost in the moment and leaving your worries behind, it’s as if we’ve reached the point where Lopez had finally opened up and is letting himself become comfortable with taking risks.

“35.mm” is yet another funky track. The verses are a lot more delicate and stripped down compared to the intro and chorus. The chorus is the strongest part of this song, but the dreamlike interlude during the bridge toward the end puts up a great fight. Once again leading into the themes of love, Lopez finds himself falling for someone and compares it to an old-school black-and-white film.

“capsule-03” is an instrumental track that serves to be more of a little break. The synths and guitars are both lovely, but it feels like the band just wants to show off a tiny bit. There are sounds of text messages being sent back and forth along with a voice of a woman saying she wants to talk a bit, but about what is up for interpretation.

Bringing the mood back up is “fun.noise”. Once again the song follows the trend of lovely synths and guitars. The best part is how the song ends with its instrumental break and final chorus/tag. It’s one of the weaker songs lyrically and puts a heavy reliance on the chorus. Lopez is using technology and robotics to compare love, but it falls kind of flat.

“slow.dance” is just that, a slower funk song. Once again, the synths are the stars of the show. Things slow down to an absolute crawl 2 minutes into the track and let the guitar shine through. This song is all about just taking things slow and enjoying the moment if that wasn’t obvious by the title. Taking things slow and being a bit hesitant to jump into love is what this album has been about.

The band’s first single that put them on the map is “fake.guitars”. It’s a song that was born out of feeling hopeless and confused. Despite the odds stacked against you, there’s always a little something or someone to help you push through the worst of it. Despite the name here, the synths once again take the lead. The little bits of guitars that we hear in the background are nice, but there could be more here.

“0419” closes out this album. It’s a rather slow song that catches you a bit off guard. It’s the only acoustic song on the record and with the synths taking the lead on nearly every song before, it’s nice to hear one without them. It’s a great way to end off the album and a lovely way to relay the journey Lopez has been on. From being so closed off to love, to opening up to people and letting himself be more vulnerable, it’s the way the album should end.

Final Thoughts

lost spaces’ debut album is a great easy-listening synth-pop project. With the incredibly catchy synths and guitars, it’s a wonderful listen. Despite this, many of the tracks do lack something that makes them stand out just a bit. It’s a delightful listen but leaves you wanting a bit more.

Reference:
Buro.: Band to watch: lost spaces | BURO.
DeaconRecon: Chucking out bad memories by checking in with Lost Spaces | Review
DeaconRecon: Finding creativity and good vibes in Lost Spaces | Put it on Loop

Album Score: 6.5/10
Favorite Track: “boxset.girlfriend”