Team B — The Lost Son

The Lost Son is the second effort from Team B, a New York-based act which includes members of Beirut, Arcade Fire, Stars Like Fleas and Jealous Girlfriends.

The album comprises nine accordion- and horn-driven numbers, and aside from the instrumental opener "Intro — The Lost Son," all the EP's lyrics were taken from the works of American Pulitzer Prize-winning poet Theodore Roethke, who passed away in 1963.  

The Lost Son is a strong and interesting soundtrack for the most part, making it quite easy for those unfamiliar with Roethke to enjoy this mix of song and poetry. While many of the compositions play out in a similar manner, subtle twists take the tracks in slightly different directions and give each more of a distinct flavour with repeated listens.

The slowed down "The Reckoning" morphs briefly into a lively polka party complete with handclaps and cheerful shouts before returning to its subdued origins. Percussion and backup vocals add a soaring orchestral quality to "Genesis/Reply To Censure." The chimes from a music box give the excellent standout "My Papa's Waltz" a lullaby feel as frontman Kelly Pratt's vocals meld wonderfully with the hypnotic instrumentation he creates with his bandmates.