Someone To Believe In

Cindy Lee “Lockstepp”

Cindy Lee’s Diamond Jubilee, a 32 track album split across two imaginary CDs and only available as a single stream on YouTube or a download from the band’s Geocities page, is kinda like getting the entire discography of a really cool lost psychedelic band in one lump sum. Even with the existence of previous Cindy Lee records, this feels like a complete body of work documenting a series of related musical phases. It also sounds like a world unto itself, with a very “live” feel and some of the most beautifully recorded guitar parts I’ve heard in a while. It’s not a hi-fi sound, but it’s not really lo-fi either – it’s more like naturalism with a flattering soft focus. I have no idea what the Cindy Lee working process was like, but the recording and mixing gives the impression of listening in on a rehearsal when the band is in the zone and every improvisational flourish is inspired.

If you go along with the “entire discography” notion, “Lockstepp” is like a mid-career shift into a darker vibe. It’s like a zonked-out glam song with a severe krautrock groove and a goth tonal palette. The lyrics are sung from the POV of someone who seems to come out of some kind of literal or metaphorical cult, a lament about needing someone to believe in and figuring out you probably chose the wrong person or institution. There’s a sick hollow feeling at the core of this song, like you’re in this person’s head and you can’t help but feel the pull of this void they’re trying to fill.

Buy it from Cindy Lee.