by Anna Solomon (@chateau.fiasco)
The Lentils have never been a band that wants fame, or even wants to market and promote their music much at all. Nonetheless, singer Luke Csehak has released an album nearly every year since starting the project in 2014, gradually shifting from an indie rock power trio out of Battleboro, Vermont to a lo-fi folk project with lots of collaborators based out of Los Angeles. While the last couple records, 2020’s ixnay on the entilslay and 2022’s budget alchemy are very low-key, recorded almost entirely by Csehak in his home, their forthcoming eighth album, Hello Jane Goodall, Are You Listening?, aims to capture the band’s live sound by featuring different past line-ups of the band recorded across four different L.A. studios. It’s due out July 7th via I'm Into Life Records.
The more expansive approach is heard immediately on lead-off single "Easy on the Shadow Work," which opens with a lead melody played on violin and a flute providing counterpoint. It’s still not an overly clean recording, but not lo-fi in a noisy or confrontational way. The folky and eclectic instrumentation is reminiscent of old Canterbury prog, but the song is much less obtuse than most of those bands, a sound the band describes as “elf-rock.” In the video, Csehak is shown going through an absurdist therapy session, matching his lyrics about being exhausted and “ready for a second chance.” His melodies are sweet, and his delivery is honest in its frailty. The track isn’t really therapy of course, but it’s a warm and inviting folk-rock tune that’s easy to find comfort in.