Tyler Ramsey – New Lost Ages Review

With reinforcements drafted into the recording studio and a breath of fresh air to his rocking ways, Tyler Ramsey is back. He is lost in the sludge-grey dawn of a new generation and New Lost Ages is his chance to retrieve those days worth holding to. He does so with all the usual acerbic wit and skill of a long-form artist returning to the fold to see what the state of the world around him is. Tucking away all those feelings of fear and ambiguous moments of life in the dark. From its titles alone, regardless of the in-tune experience found in these tracks, is this hopeful state of finding yourself in the shadowy state of living in the modern day. Where carving out the future feels impossible, New Lost Ages maintains this sense of survival – a wonderful new perspective.  

Floating and neat perspectives in opener Three Ghosts does much to set the desire to stay upbeat. Acoustic flutters and the nature of openness glides through this and Ramsey has the vocal range necessary to support such a tone. There is a jocular sense to the likes of Fires though it may not mean to hold such a sentiment. Implore the soul to do what is right and see where it takes you. Open enough of a message and such a loosely structured idea gives Ramsey the creative scope to fashion out all the right words, thoughts and feelings which come through doing good. New Lost Ages feels this unfocused blend as a tool of use. Lose yourself to Dark Dark Dark, the selection of tones and cries for one last chance and some sort of aid the next time love bites feels frankly Father John Misty or Hozier in its approach. Ramsey can swing with the best of them. New Lost Ages proves it.  

Feel the rush on its title track. It is thrillingly easy to gauge the direction Ramsey hopes to take this project but a real headscratcher and plenty of hard work later reveals the sharper intent. Confidence is crucial to this, not to mark these cymbal adjustments or the swaying severity found within, but the breathing room Ramsey offers in those instrumental sections is remarkable. Ramsey is alert though, happy to breach the pace he sets out before him, the slight change in pace to You Should Come Over is filled with a blind optimism and a hopeful spritz of guitar work. New Lost Age is an attempt and hope for sympathy – a holdout of hope on the desire of escaping a small town. 

Those who managed to make their way out of the frothing mess of their birthplace, the damnable dullness which cements itself in what few pubs and open shops still linger there, will find themselves replicated in We Were A Small Town. Leave those freaks who spend their days snooping around in your future behind. Ramsey may appear with these flushed feelings of longing for simpler days but it still sounds faded, the memories of sitting around in the local are just that – memories. They cannot and will not be replicated and long may that feeling of new rushes continue. New Lost Ages maintains a wonderful scope on why the past is best left alone. We get nowhere but older in longing for simpler times.