Lanterna – Desert Ocean

Defined by the rhythm of the road, the Vulgar Boatmen’s music traveled two-lane blacktop through a midwestern landscape. Never mind the lyrics, the beats were like pistons firing. The Tortoise side project Pullman, by contrast, was ideal for freeway driving in an air-conditioned car with cruise control. Lanterna makes driving music for a free afternoon in the California desert, the ocean a mirage on the horizon. The speed is casual, deliberate enough to appreciate an arresting view, but the rhythms are relentlessly forward-moving. “Venture” is Boatmen-like, and “Messina” could be a lost Friends Of Dean Martinez track, but the gleam and ripple of guitars on “Hope” best characterize Lanterna’s distinctive sound. This Henry Frayne instrumental project leaves the stories to your imagination, but the music is as hopefully expectant as a sunrise. A drowsy, jazzy “48th And 8th” is the only hint that Frayne actually hails from New York.