On the Leopard Altar

Did you ever want to hop into that souped-up DeLorean with Michael J. Fox? Yeah, me neither; not unless I’m driving. If all you’re craving anyway is a little sonic blast from the past, then the mid-’80s have arrived in the form of Daniel Lentz’s On the Leopard Altar, a new CD reissue from Cold Blue Music. This Moog-heavy bliss-out is chalk full of Glass-like arpeggios, sans vibrato singing, and straight-forward chord progressions. Despite bearing clear signs of its own elderliness, the whole package has aged nicely—even the retro-sounding synth timbres get a pass. The album’s title track wears its cobwebs like haute couture, with drape of perky electronics and panoramic sound washes supporting its dreamy reverb drenched vocals. Actually, it sounds a little bit like what I’ve heard of Cory Dargel’s forthcoming album—very back to the future.

—RN