‘ I highly recommend the album “Beautiful Ugly” released under the aegis of Captain Of The Lost Waves – an artist who is someone special, completely unlike anyone else and at the same time so approachable to anyone who devotes a moment of attention to him. A fascinating album ’

Quite by accident I came across an album by a completely unknown artist with a rather mysterious nickname – Captain Of The Lost Waves. The album seemed so beautiful to me that I decided to do some research on the Internet and find information about this musician. He is English and his name is Shaun T. Hunter. It turns out that he made his mark in the music industry 20 years ago with the release of his debut album “Flying Not Falling”. Under the proper name and surname, he recorded two more albums: “The Great Departure” (2007) and “Still Talking Scribble” (2010). In the meantime, a recording of fragments of chamber concerts under the name Quiet Rebellion was released, entitled “Thinnest Hopes Magnified” (2009). Then Shaun went silent for seven years and returned with the album “Hidden Gems”, but as Captain Of The Lost Waves. As it turned out, it was also the beginning of a triptych, the next parts of which were published in 2019 (”Hidden Gems Chapter 2 – Circus Of Morality”) and 2022 (”Hidden Gems Chapter 3 – Mysterium Tremendum”). In the meantime, an album – “Synthesis” (2018) – appeared on the market. All these positions oscillated somewhere between art and prog rock and pop music and were rooted in folk roots. We have to admit that this is an interesting combination. If someone likes Big Big Train, Barock Project, The Decemberists or Benjamin Gibbard, they will be satisfied with the work of Shaun T. Hunter aka Captain Of The Lost Waves.

In 2022, after the release of the third part of ”Hidden Gems”, Shaun and his family were involved in a very serious car accident. And it was during his convalescence (and after taking an incredible amount of painkillers and other medicines) that a wonderful album entitled “Beautiful Ugly” was created. It’s hard to pigeonhole this album, and it’s even harder to describe it, because every time I listen to it, I perceive it differently. It is certainly deeply reflective and in its own way very atmospheric. If it weren’t for the beautiful keys in the background, we could say that this is a fully acoustic work, which does not interfere with the reception at all, and perhaps is a huge advantage of the whole material. Shaun draws us into his world, which is worth much more than the glare of many stars. Seen through showers of glitter, kaleidoscopic lens flashes, and rainbows reflected in a million puddles, Captain of the Lost Waves tells stories that connect to the past, touch the present, and look to the future. He sings, plays guitars, bouzouki and mandolin. He is supported by Damian Clark on synthesizers and Wendy Ross on violin. Kapitan takes his alternative folk roots and brings them to something completely different, which introduces both progressive and ambient styling. What is so immensely impressive about this release is the human presence. He has created a swirling soundscape in which he is at the very centre, somehow imbuing the sense of being in the world here and now, in which presence is often fleeting and transient. It’s deeply rooted there, and the music sounds ethereal and magical at times, like a spider’s web of strands connected to each other in an amazing way. It would be an extraordinary release at any time, but knowing what he was going through makes it truly something amazing and thought-provoking. When describing music, a metaphorical blender is often invoked. This is especially true for progressive music, where different styles are often mixed together. In the case of the album “Beautiful Ugly”, the ingredients are quite diverse. You can hear expressive ambient, dreamy art pop, pastoral prog and a touch of folk. The result is a delicious blend contained in 9 tracks lasting a total of 41 minutes and 15 seconds.

We start with ”Obsidian Whispers”. The captain shows us around the kingdom of nihilism and cynicism. The soundscapes created by Clark are extremely atmospheric, and the work of the acoustic guitar is the background for the unique voice. A very strong start. “Dirty Windows” lyrically takes us to the ancient Near East and to the Torah seen through the prism of the “dirty” window of our contemporary sensitivity, which distorts many timeless truths. The voice here is a bit pathetic, and the instrumentation gently washes us with Sumerian landscapes. The guitar reminds me a bit of the song “Crazy Lane” by RPWL and that’s why this composition is so close to my heart. And those fantastic strings… In “Success In Failure”, Shaun’s voice is a perfect example of how powerful words are supposed to resonate in the listener’s senses without the need to shout. It’s a meditation on our notions of success and failure, but it’s also (I think) a song about deep love, especially when it sings “the most natural thing I can do is put my arms around you.” Poignant and beautiful, with soothing keys in the background. ”Gothic Balladeer” refers to the Yazads, a Kurdish group that suffered a lot during the Islamic State’s caliphate. It’s a song about how reality can be distorted by perception, usually deliberately sown, but thanks to the messages carried by the old ballad, it doesn’t let us forget the truths of the ages. Wendy, with her violin, shines in this piece, and her bow exudes sorrow over the deaths of one or a million people, each of which is a tragedy. Damian provides the necessary soundscape floating above the Captain’s voice and guitar. ”Older” emphasizes the fundamental elements of the COTLW sound, and the subtle guitar work, charming bouzouki and violin contributions create heavenly chords. A special mention should be made of the wonderful vocal melodies, which in the high register have the intensity of Peter Nicholls (IQ), and in the lower register bring to mind a calm Peter Hammill… Lyrically, it is Shaun’s reflection on his life experiences so far, a reminder of failures and successes, and a thank you for where he is at this moment. ”A Joyful Disturbance” refers to ”mamihlapinatapai” – a word from South America that is said to be one of the most difficult to translate on the planet. But what do we have a reliable Wikipedia for? It says that it means “a gaze that shares two people without words, who want to initiate something, but neither of them wants to start”. You won’t get that in a typical Taylor Swift song, right?! It must relate to the Captain’s beloved wife, with thoughts of ancient and modern mating or love rituals, including the use of exotic pharmaceuticals, but the point is to commit to that basic bond between two people, something you have blissfully enjoyed all these years. It’s a wonderful love song where voices and synthesizers come together in a ritual celebration. “Vesper Flights” may refer to Helen McDonald’s work of the same title, which is a transcendent collection of essays on our relationship with the natural world. Musically, it is a beautiful composition with a light symphonic arrangement, which takes us straight to a flowery clearing in the middle of a green forest, where everything is wonderfully calm and in its place. It’s amazing to listen to… “Neighbourhood” is a song about the fact that sometimes we contradictions. We were not born strangers, and yet we feel uncomfortable in a place. We were created not only to take orders, but also to question bad decisions. The whole song is full of longing, some sounds are orchestrally powerful, and at the same time understated. And so we came to the last track on the album, which is the title track “Beautiful Ugly”. Lyrically, it again refers to contradictions, such as this beautiful ugliness. Musically, it’s a bit of an awakening from the trance that Sahaun put me into with his previous compositions…

The strength of “Beautiful Ugly” lies in the fact that all the songs are fairly interchangeable and are not disturbed by psychedelic twists or wild chords. Let songs such as “Dirty Windows”, “Older” or “Vesper Flights” be simply beautiful, and everything else will fit perfectly to them, creating an amazing atmosphere and a unique atmosphere. I love it when I come across something so beautiful, without knowing the artist’s previous work. It’s a kind of bonus from life for patience and constant search for something new. It’s been a long time since I’ve heard such wonderful music and I’m grateful that I could participate in this incredibly wonderful journey through the most wonderful corners of the musical cosmos. I touched this artistry, hugged it to my heart and I will cherish this feeling forever.

15.12.2024
5***** by Maciej Niemczak – MLWZ

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