{"id":1005,"date":"2020-09-20T10:09:32","date_gmt":"2020-09-20T07:09:32","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/sarhamaa.com\/wp\/?page_id=1005"},"modified":"2024-01-18T15:50:34","modified_gmt":"2024-01-18T13:50:34","slug":"lighthouse-sparrows-reviews","status":"publish","type":"page","link":"https:\/\/sarhamaa.com\/wp\/?page_id=1005","title":{"rendered":"Lighthouse Sparrows – Reviews"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

Back to main page<\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Dark Matter (alpha)<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

ALAIN BOURGUIGNON (Plus Prog de Vous):<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Sami SARHAMAA and Olli HUHTANEN have been sharing their musical ideas since 2019. They founded LIGHTHOUSE SPARROWS which should be seen as an experimental laboratory, without pre-established limits.

We first became acquainted with their debut full-length album, “Aerials,” on January 26, 2022. In addition to some opinions on the musical content, the working method, and the contributions were detailed in the article.<\/p>\n\n\n\n


As a reminder, Olli is more focused on harmonies, melody (or melodicity), and lyricism, while Sami is skilled in arrangements, ensuring groove and tempo, with a keen sense of production.<\/p>\n\n\n\n


After “Aerials,” each of them was busy in their respective fields, and occasionally, songs were added to the “Ideas” folder, awaiting better days. The finishing stage began in the spring of 2023, and by summer, 8 compositions were completed. Their other commitments risked delaying the release of an album too far into 2024. It was decided to split this corpus into two.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

It is worth noting that Olli and Sami have been “making” music for decades. They don’t need to tease the muse to find inspiration. When urgency strikes, when a feeling (or sense) of lack tingles, the process is set in motion, without limits to creativity. What is unsatisfactory is set aside and revisited later,if necessary. It is only in the second development cycle that the idea is retained or abandoned.<\/p>\n\n\n\n


So here is \u201cDark Matter<\/strong>\u201d (a<\/strong>lpha<\/strong>).<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The texts evoke a character alone, lost in this modern life, invisible, out of phase, out of sync. The left-behind in the back row, the one whose life seems behind him.  He feels like everything was better before.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Each writes lyrics separately on a musical basis. Olli is more lyrical, nuanced, suggestive, while Sami is more intimate and focuses on human relationships.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

LIGHTHOUSE SPARROWS offer us Progressive Rock totally in tune with our times. Their expertise and impressive background allow them to express a maximum of ideas, emotions and situations.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

“Phases<\/strong>” is quite heavy, immersed in a dark atmosphere that immediately places the listener within the narrative. Heavy and rumbling bass, slow strikes on the toms, guitar emphasizing the rhythm, more optimistic keyboards to mark the different cycles of this excellent introductory piece. A beautiful guitar solo rises towards the conclusion.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

We find the calm, evocative singing, this warm, very narrative voice \u2013 alone or harmonized \u2013 in \u201cPale Waters<\/strong>\u201d, a more dreamy and peaceful composition until the final crescendo.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Piano\/voice to start “Better Before<\/strong>” with a lot of delicacy. The song evolves and expands. Perfect musicality \u2013 highlighted by the production \u2013 it becomes smoother, endearing, immediate. And always these precisely executed solo interventions.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Distinct atmosphere, a little technical, complex, to introduce “Soil<\/strong>,” which ultimately works very well. The carefully balanced arrangements have a lot to do with it. A delight for demanding enthusiasts.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

All these voices, highly evocative, ideally placed, intertwined in the orchestration, offer an ideal readability of the narrative.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

As much as it could be inferred, it seems a bit concise. This is even more commendable considering that the other compositions are part of a continuum, and therefore, the collective body will constitute the complete image of “Dark Matter”.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

ProgArchives\/Matti:<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

The Finnish project Lighthouse Sparrows, led by multi-instrumentalist Sami Sarhamaa and keyboardist Olli Huhtanen (both being also singers and songwriters), seem to favour EP’s in their publishing policy. I personally find that a bit frustrating and short-sighted. Dark Matter is theoretically a full-length album released as two separate EP’s — ‘Dark Matter (beta)’ will be released in April or May. Why such impatience, only for a few months? Also for the contents my initial reception was not very enthusiastic : especially at the first listening it appears as if they are more or less doing the same song over and over. But that phrase sounds all too cynical, I know. To put it more optimistically, one could say they have found their own style which they keep on crafting. Their fairly accessible music is melancholic, dark- toned, often in a slowish tempo, and it reminds me of the not-so-heavy output of STEVEN WILSON \/PORCUPINE TREE and other PINK FLOYD influenced modern prog acts such as the Norwegian AIRBAG, with a flair of elegant art-rock \u00e0 la David Sylvian here and there.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The four songs are admittedly very well produced. This is where the creative duo is at their strongest, and the musicianship is naturally of high quality. Perhaps the lead vocals [the other of the two] are the weak link for me. Not that they’re bad per se, but a bit colourless on the long run. Especially the female backing vocals could be used much more, while I would even suggest to use completely other lead vocalists for variety. ‘Phases’ is the longest track (8:31). It is basically a very song-oriented composition the same way as always, but the extended length helps to include some “space” and also instrumental sections. But still I wouldn’t choose this one as my favourite, for sounding so depressed in the vocal sections.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

‘Pale Waters’ is a bit more spatial but almost as sombre and depressive. The better lead vocals are faintly reminiscent of David Sylvian, but only faintly. ‘Better Before’ is sonically calmer and more elegant than the two preceding songs, but unfortunately it doesn’t entirely rely on that David Sylvian reminding elegance, and I refer to the depressed, slow- paced chorus.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

‘Soil’ starts very promisingly. The modern, spatial soundscape has a fascinating emotional depth you might hear in acts such as NO-MAN. The bad side is the very same as with ‘Better Before’, the chorus featuring the duller vocals. So, I remain rather reserved for this ‘alpha’ half of Dark Matter and hope for more variety from the ‘beta’ EP. In other words, I wish Sarhamaa and Huhtanen wouldn’t put all of their regular ingredients in each of their songs but instead felt more self-confident in the “less is more” approach. And less of that depressed mood would be most welcome!<\/p>\n\n\n\n

AERIALS:<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Jacques Becker – myprogmusic:

2020 had seen the release of the promising EP ‘The Deep End’<\/a> by the Finnish band ‘Lighthouse Sparrows’ and it is now an LP that will be released in early 2022, called ‘Aerials’. The trio ‘Sami Sarhamaa’, ‘Olli Huhtanen’ and ‘Miri Miettinen’ are still there and, for the backing vocals, the ‘Trio Tingo’ has been replaced by ‘Ella Eriksson’. On the menu of this opus, there are 11 compositions for 65 minutes of listening in which we are taken on a very beautiful progressive, symphonic, atmospheric and melodic journey with a good balance between the sung parts and the instrumental sections.

The short instrumental ‘Bates’ opens the album in a powerful and epic atmosphere with a marked rhythm and omnipresent keyboards, then, ‘Assimilate’, much more atmospheric, brings a hovering side with a catchy melody and the continuation continues in this way with ‘Moodswings’, with a slow tempo in a ‘Floydian’ atmosphere giving a remarkable feeling of quiet strength in which one abandons oneself to the rhythm of the music. Follows ‘Kibitzer’ with more catchy and direct sung parts which flirt with pop and with instrumental sections bringing the progressive side with a remarkable final guitar solo, then, ‘No Still Moment’, with its 8 minutes, offers us a beautiful moment of progressive with a title make of several drawers which follow one another and with very beautiful sung and instrumental parts including this central section with very beautiful choirs. ‘Elephant’, which follows and which was the subject of a single in 2021 (see video above), is a magnificent ballad sublimated by a moving vocal interpretation of ‘Olli Huhtanen’, then, ‘Like Blood’, after a muscular introduction, develops a neo-progressive rock which can approach certain titles of ‘RPWL’<\/a> thanks to remarkable alternations of intensities bringing a very particular emotion between strong and weak moments, and we find the same style with the following composition ‘Itinerant’, thanks in particular to aerial keyboards. We continue our beautiful journey with ‘Safe and Sound’ which was the first single in 2021 (see the video here<\/a>) and which is still a very beautiful moment of serenity with the vocal contribution of ‘Ella Eriksson’ that we would like to hear even more often because the singing combined with the male duo and Ella is simply sublime. The album ends with, first of all, the instrumental ‘Percolator’, a title highlighting the sounds of vintage keyboards that can in some places recall ‘Emerson, Lake & Palmer’, then the long development ‘Youth’, which is certainly the most sought after and the most psychedelic of the set and which highlights soaring and vaporous sounds bringing us back to the first period of ‘Pink Floyd’.

In summary, the Finns of ‘Lighthouse Sparrows’ release a remarkable first studio recording both in terms of compositions and production and if you like bands like ‘RPWL’ or ‘Airbag’<\/a> or even ou encore ‘Mystery’<\/a>, you should like ‘Aerials’ which should be one of the major atmospheric progressive albums of 2022…<\/h5>\n\n\n\n

The Deep End<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

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Ilkka-Pohjalainen – Juha Seitz<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n
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Desibeli.net – Mika Roth<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

PROGARCHIVES:<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Yesterday was the official date of release for this digital single by the Finnish recording project LIGHTHOUSE SPARROWS, led by Sami Sarhamaa (voc, g, b, progr) and Olli Huhtanen (keyb, backing voc). Last autumn they released The Deep End, a 30-minute album\/EP which has received very favourable ratings here. ‘Safe and Sound’ is a song inspired by the COVID-19 lockdown, its lyrics reflect the confused feelings of being isolated in one’s own home. “The walls get close and box me in”. “The world has turned upside down…” I think just about everyone can relate to the lyrics, which are an essential part of the song’s emotional power. A music video was made as well.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

But most of all it is the carefully produced modern-and-yet-timeless sound that makes ‘Safe and Sound’ a fine track. With their EP I made comparisons to their countrymen PAX ROMANA and SUNHILLOW for the Floydian, relatively mellow but dark-toned sound, and here they have improved it even further. The composition in itself may not be breath-taking, but it flows ideally and the five minutes are put to a perfect use. Sarhamaa’s warm vocals are now accompanied by Ella Eriksson’s beautiful voice. The production is absolutely top notch, which however doesn’t result as clinical stiffness. Hopefully there are more music to be expected from Lighthouse Sparrows!<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Matti | 4\/5 | 2021-2-2<\/p>\n\n\n\n

 ‘The Deep End’ is a spellbinding EP recently forwarded from Finland to us prog fans. Roundabout thirty minutes playing time, composed by the longtime musical companions Sami Sarhamaa and Olli Huhtanen, who both also provide the complete guitar, bass, keyboard and vocal stuff. While they aren’t defining something totally new concerning the stylistical aspect, eh, I know, difficult enough anyway, the five compositions all are real winners. So this is featuring sense of melancholy and melody, diverse stages, moods and technical skills. All in all it appeals, is convincing me very much in its entirety. This also due to drummer Miri Miettinen, who is a great addition to that staff.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Gravest Danger<\/strong> kicks off with an atmospheric feel, later evolves to a more straightforward rocking issue. Perfect sound mix all over the place, resulting in an enjoyable lush experience. Scales<\/strong> then offers some psychedelic reminiscence to Pink Floyd for the first time, later continued with the title track Deep End<\/strong>. LIGHTHOUSE SPARROWS are offering really entertaining and gripping arrangements, also comparable to the likes of RPWL or Airbag maybe, a bit heavier though here and there. Bravo, Sami and Olli, very good start. I’m expecting to hear more like this soon!<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Rivertree 4\/5<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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COLOSSUS.FI – LIGHTHOUSE SPARROWS: THE DEEP END <\/h2>\n\n\n\n

Dec 13 ’20 | By Teijo Salminen<\/a> | Views: 462 | Comments: 0<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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\u201dProgressiivista- taide- vai pelkk\u00e4\u00e4 modernia rockia\u201d -kysymyksenasettelulla alkaa kansilehden saateteksti. No, ved\u00e4n yhteen ja vastaan oman tulkintani: modernia progressiivista rockia. Olli Huhtasen (laulu ja koskettimet) ja Sami Sarhamaan (kielisoittimet, laulu, lis\u00e4koskettimet) duoprojektina syntynyt tuotos on saatteen mukaan kokolailla koronapandemian ansiosta mahdollistunut \u2013 ja valmistuminen my\u00f6s ratkaisevasti nopeutunut. Viheli\u00e4isen taudin vaikutuksista voi seurata jotain hyv\u00e4\u00e4kin. Albumi on lyhyt, eli vain noin puolituntinen, mutta viime aikoina onkin ilmestynyt useampia erinomaisia puolituntisia albumeita. En pid\u00e4 sit\u00e4 lainkaan pahana, tiivis ilmaisu on usein enemm\u00e4n kuin paikallaan. Apuna levyn teossa ovat olleen rumputaiteilija Miri Miettinen ja kolmen naisen voimin tehtyj\u00e4 taustak\u00f6\u00f6rej\u00e4 vet\u00e4\u00e4 ainakin itselleni ennest\u00e4\u00e4n tuntematon Trio Tingo.

Aloitusraita vaikuttaa parin ensiminuuttinsa aikana melko tyypilliselt\u00e4 vanhan progerockin perillisten fiilistelylt\u00e4, eli kenties yll\u00e4tyksett\u00f6m\u00e4lt\u00e4 noin uutta janoavalle \u2013 mutta parempaa ja tehokkaampaa kiharaa on alkuminuuttien j\u00e4lkeen luvassa. Toinen taite, Scales, tuo vahvalla melodisuudellaan meininkiin erinomaista vaihtelua ja kiinnostavuutta. Levyn ykk\u00f6steoksia ehdottomasti. Albumi on my\u00f6s sik\u00e4li taitavasti rakennettu ett\u00e4 kappaleet erillisyydest\u00e4\u00e4n huolimatta vaikuttavat luovan jonkinlaisen jatkumon, eli siirtym\u00e4t tehd\u00e4\u00e4n niin sulavasti, ett\u00e4 ainakin s\u00e4velellinen kaari musiikille syntyy luontevasti. Oikastaan vain Shallow End ja Deep End -raitojen v\u00e4lill\u00e4 huomaa selvemmin \u201dn\u00e4yt\u00f6sten\u201d v\u00e4lisen tauon.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Kokonaisuutena kappaleista kuuntelukerta toisensa j\u00e4lkeen nousee esiin hyv\u00e4n progen tunnisteita. S\u00e4vellyksiin on sis\u00e4llytetty hyvin paljon koukkuja, vet\u00e4vi\u00e4 melodioita, s\u00e4\u00e4steli\u00e4it\u00e4, usein lyhyit\u00e4 mutta sit\u00e4kin maukkaampia sooloja. Esimerkiksi levyn p\u00e4\u00e4tt\u00e4v\u00e4ll\u00e4 Gravity-raidalla lopun moog-soolo ihastuttaa \u2013 kappale on loppuvinaan, mutta p\u00e4\u00e4tt\u00e4\u00e4kin somaan pianokadenssiin. Mik\u00e4 on muuten mielest\u00e4ni aivan tyrm\u00e4\u00e4v\u00e4n hieno s\u00e4vellysratkaisu. Eik\u00e4 niit\u00e4 nykyprogelle varsin tyypillisi\u00e4 raskaita Porcupine Tree -vaikutteisia riffej\u00e4k\u00e4\u00e4n jauheta loputtomiin. Sanoitukset j\u00e4\u00e4v\u00e4t itselt\u00e4ni valitettavasti hieman paitsioon, mutta ainakin Scalesin osalta lyriikoissa on jotain tarkkaavaisuutta her\u00e4tt\u00e4v\u00e4\u00e4kin.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Soundit ovat Sarhamaan miksausty\u00f6skentelyn tuntien erinomaiset. Lis\u00e4kiitosta ansaitsee Pate Pesoniuksen laatima kannen kaunis sininen graafinen ulkoasu, joka tuo oudosti mieleeni jonkun poikkeuksellisen tyylikk\u00e4\u00e4sti toteutetun linux-distribuution k\u00e4ytt\u00f6liittym\u00e4teeman. Lopputulemana pieni lis\u00e4ys alun genretulkintaa luonnehtivaksi adjektiiviksi: The Deep End sis\u00e4lt\u00e4\u00e4 erinomaista modernia progressivista rockia. Eritt\u00e4in suotavaa siis on, ett\u00e4 Huhtanen\u2013 Sarhamaa -kaksikon hedelm\u00e4llinen yhteisty\u00f6 jatkuu.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Back to main page Dark Matter (alpha) ALAIN BOURGUIGNON (Plus Prog de Vous): Sami SARHAMAA and Olli HUHTANEN have been sharing their musical ideas since 2019. They founded LIGHTHOUSE SPARROWS which should be seen as an experimental laboratory, without pre-established limits. We first became acquainted with their debut full-length album, “Aerials,” on January 26, 2022. … Continue reading Lighthouse Sparrows – Reviews<\/span> →<\/span><\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":0,"parent":0,"menu_order":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","template":"","meta":{"footnotes":""},"class_list":["post-1005","page","type-page","status-publish","hentry"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/sarhamaa.com\/wp\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/pages\/1005","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/sarhamaa.com\/wp\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/pages"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/sarhamaa.com\/wp\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/types\/page"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/sarhamaa.com\/wp\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/sarhamaa.com\/wp\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcomments&post=1005"}],"version-history":[{"count":8,"href":"https:\/\/sarhamaa.com\/wp\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/pages\/1005\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":1168,"href":"https:\/\/sarhamaa.com\/wp\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/pages\/1005\/revisions\/1168"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/sarhamaa.com\/wp\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fmedia&parent=1005"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}