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Dreamy experimentalists would probably be the best way to describe Nottingham, England's pop quartet featuring vocalists Mark Rolfe, Sharon Cohen, James Allen and flutist Matt Harrison.

The results on their latest disc, Static Patterns and Souvenirs is an aural treat with the group playing everything from guitars to viola to vibraphone (with the assistance of some studio musicians) as well as more experimental sounds incorporating theremin and various electronic bleeps and blips. But it's the trio of voices, primarily the angelic Cohen and the more grounded Rolfe, who pilot Lorna somewhere up above the clouds.

Tracks like the opening "Understanding Heavy Metal Parts I and II" begin with a tender, almost twee-pop sound reminiscent of really anyone on the old Sarah Records roster. The long intro into "The Last Mosquito Fight of Summer," with its drums and brushes and droning bass line courtesy of co-vocalist Allen, starts out like a classic early 1990's shoegazer sort of song but actually builds on that with the otherworldly theremin tones and slightly sped up tempo.

Once you think you have Lorna pegged, they then record the almost country-ish song "The Swimmer," complete with banjo and pedal steel flourishes. But don't grab your cowboy boots just yet. Rolfe's not ready to ride the range just yet. The mellotron-type sounds and the hypnotic drum machine bring to mind the sounds of Rivulets and Violets more than Starflyer 59 or Lost Dogs.

Then there are more spare songs, like the mournful "Be Forever," a song highlighting Cohen's voice. 

And though the cold winds aren't blowing just yet, they soon will be in much of the country. That's when the warm glow of "Snow Song" will sound just right. The highlight here, however, is the beautiful track "He Dreams of Spaceships." The guitar, drums, and flute meld perfectly with Rolfe and Cohen's earnest vocals. It's a little reminiscent of the Boo Radleys mixed with a little Amelia Fletcher from Heavenly. And to drive home that "spaceship" theme, the Lorna gang throws is some otherworldly space sounds that sound welcoming rather than unsettling.

Lorna is one of a growing number of great bands on Minnesota's Words On Music record label. This is a British act worth embracing.

Andrew West Griffin  08/29/05