Failure have gradually become something of a cult figure among fans of the weirder corners of 90s alternative rock. Known for their lush, immaculate production, unpredictable melodies and chord progressions, and space rock sounds and themes, the singular sound of trio Ken Andrews (guitar/bass/vocals), Greg Edwards (guitar/bass/keyboards), and Scott Kelli (drums/percussion) has influenced innumerable bands, including A Perfect Circle, Paramore and Deftones to name a few. Before breaking up in 1997, the band released Fantastic Planet (1996), which is often cited as one of the finest and most unheralded albums of that decade. Since reforming in 2013, Failure have released several albums that abandon many of the heavier, alternative-rock-informed elements of their original 90s run, often with mixed results. But Location Lost may very well be the sound that Failure have been searching for since reforming.
The development of Location Lost was marred by Andrews’ health issues, as a back injury that required surgery led to a self-described change in his brain chemistry. While he participated in improvisational writing sessions with the rest of the band, this psychological component of his recovery prevented him from confidently participating in the editorial steps of songwriting. But something flipped in his mind, and he ended up writing a larger share of the lyrics and letting his intuition guide the songs since the “editorial side of [his] brain was turned off.” That context is reflected in the new sonic territory that Failure explores on Location Lost. Even from the outset, there is a sense that Andrews' lack of overthinking and editorializing allowed the band to explore new sounds.
The album opens with a broken electronic beat before an ambient synth pad and a legato guitar fade in. It’s an atypical collection of sounds for a band that has adhered to a long-established style, and it’s the first indication that Location Lost may not be business as usual. It’s not until the chorus that “Crash Test Delayed” taps into the classic Failure sound. The following track, “The Rising Skyline” (featuring Paramore’s Haley Williams on guest vocals), is tantamount to an acoustic ballad, a rarity for the band. But the electric guitar’s gloomy appearance shifts the composition to a darker mood halfway through, preventing the song from being caught in sticky sentimentality. The band seems to settle into material that more closely resembles their signature sound as the album continues, but not without novel touches. “Solid State” is a particular highlight as its lumbering tempo, euphoric mood, and unabashedly uplifting melody are punctuated by chords that bend in and out of tune à la My Bloody Valentine. “Someday Soon” exemplifies the heavy psychedelia the band has championed since Fantastic Planet, especially with its hypnotic vocals and bass lines. But the oddly filtered guitar line that opens the song, the angular tremolo-arm-centric riff during the bridge, and the undulating fuzz that surfaces periodically are novel elements for Failure.
Not every part of Location Lost has the same power as the songs and sections described above. The bridge and solo section of “The Air’s on Fire” sounds tired and lacks the energy that Failure usually cultivates. “A Way Down” plods forward without demanding the listener’s attention until the outro, which features a slight change in the song's overplayed chord progression. Similarly, the chorus to “Location Lost” itself simply sounds uninspired, with the “bop bop bah’s” leading to bop bop boredom. However, duller moments like these are few and far between throughout the album, which already makes Location Lost a dramatic improvement over much of the band’s reunion-era output.
While Failure have been one of my favorite rock bands for quite some time, that admiration has been based primarily on the strength of their original 90s run. Their albums since their reunion have often felt like mixed bags, with half-baked songs and ideas juxtaposed against those that rival the magic the band captured in the 1990s. And while Fantastic Planet (1996) will likely always be the band’s magnum opus, Location Lost is a considerable achievement for a band that first formed more than twenty-five years ago and the most realized artistic statement the band has made since reforming.