We've Been Lost

"...songs (that) will have you gazing at your shoes in blissful content..." -- Time Out Chicago "The Layaways make fine indie pop. Hushed vocals interweave with understated buzzing guitars. The whole LP is a revelation from the start." -- Lostmusic "A wonderfully crafted recording built around tasteful songwriting and musicianship..." -- PopMatters "An untamed growl of guitar noise lays at the heart of this pop confection..." -- Fingertips "The Layaways have the shoegaze and blissful dreampop down the way it should be..." -- Mystery and Misery Hooks, harmonies, and aural hors d'oeuvres. That's what you'll find on "We've Been Lost," the second album by Chicago indie-rockers the Layaways. Though "We've Been Lost" picks up sonically where 2003's critically acclaimed "More Than Happy" debut left off, there are some big differences otherwise. What started out as David Harrell's one-man recording project on the first album has grown into a full-fledged band. Programmed rhythms were dropped in favor of drummer Nathan Burleson, while Mike Porter contributes his songs, bass playing, and vocals to round out the trio. Harrell also made the move from his home studio to Chicago's Wall to Wall Recording. Dan Dietrich, whose recent work includes a slew of acclaimed local and national artists (Andrew Bird, the Redwalls, Head of Femur), recorded and mixed the tracks. Eric Masunaga (producer for Sebadoh, the Dambuilders) mastered the album at his Modulus studio in Boston. "We've Been Lost" is a melodic, 11-song collection that mixes new-wave-influenced indie-pop with hints of folk and psychedelica. Porter and Harrell's songs and vocals combine to create a catchy sound that has drawn comparisons to Guided By Voices, the Jesus and Mary Chain, and the Pernice Brothers. These tunes make a fast trip from your iPod to your brain and will have you humming along in no time.