Me Lost Me This Material Moment
Me Lost Me's This Material Moment arrives as a quietly daring statement that blends folk tradition with inventive sonic risk, and critics largely agree it succeeds. Across two professional reviews the record earned an 80/100 consensus score, praised for marrying modal, medieval-inflected songwriting with rock dynamics and experimental choral arrangements. The result feels both rooted and forward-looking, a collection that privileges texture and emotional immediacy over tidy pop form.
Reviewers consistently point to standout tracks as proof points. “Ancient Summer” is repeatedly cited for its strident, hoarse lead vocal and its sweep from a capella intimacy into a full-band rumble; “Take it on Board” earns notice for its martial drums, clarinet flourishes and misty, prehistorical reach. Critics also single out “Compromise!” for its martial backbeat and “Still Life” for its haunting clarity, while the choral experiment on “An Affirmation” shows how collaborative band textures enable emotional and formal growth. Across reviews, writers highlight Jayne Dent's use of chance-based and automatic composition as a source of the album's emotionally raw but disciplined feel.
While only two professional reviews form the consensus, reviewers agree that the record's fusion of ancient modes, folk and abstract electronics yields memorable moments and a distinctive voice. For listeners weighing whether This Material Moment is worth hearing, the critical consensus suggests it is a rewarding, sometimes challenging listen that rewards repeated plays and close attention to its best songs.
Critics' Top Tracks
The standout songs that made critics take notice
Still Life
1 mention
"An absolute highlight, it is also an oblique guide and, indeed, a rare gift."— The Quietus
Ancient Summer
2 mentions
"Marvel in the masterpiece of landscape, last testimony to be allowed, pure magic,"— Dusted Magazine
An Affirmation
1 mention
"as on the dense, buzzing "An Affirmation," the intricate fluctuations of harmony and dissonance"— Dusted Magazine
An absolute highlight, it is also an oblique guide and, indeed, a rare gift.
Track Ratings
How critics rated each track, relative to this album (0-100). Only tracks that made critics feel something are rated.
Useful Analogies
Compromise!
Lasting, Not to Last
A Painting of the Wind
Still Life
A Souvenir
Ancient Summer
Take it on Board
A Small Hand, Clamped
An Affirmation
Vanishing Point
Have You Been Changing?
What Critics Are Saying
Deep insights from 3 critics who reviewed this album
Critic's Take
Me Lost Me sounds rooted and rebelliously alive on This Material Moment, where Jayne Dent’s modal, medieval-inflected songs unfurl into rock. The review pivots to the best tracks, naming “Ancient Summer” and “Take it on Board” as late-album highlights that swell from a capella to martial drums and clarinet. Dent’s voice - strident, sure and a little hoarse - makes “Ancient Summer” a centerpiece, while “Take it on Board” stretches the record toward misty prehistory that still rocks outrageously. The album’s choral experiments, especially on “An Affirmation”, show how rooted tradition allows extravagant branching and growth.
Key Points
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The best song is "Ancient Summer" because Dent’s commanding, hoarse voice and the band’s martial build make it a standout masterpiece.
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The album’s core strength is blending rooted folk modalities and choral textures with rock dynamics to create austere, demanding beauty.
Themes
Critic's Take
Me Lost Me’s This Material Moment feels like an act of brave invention, and the best songs - such as “Compromise!”, “Ancient Summer” and “Still Life” - show why. Jared Dix writes in an admiring, slightly academic tone that still catches warmth, noting how Dent’s use of chance and automatic writing yields music that is “emotionally raw” without lapsing into indulgence. The record’s highlights come when a band texture or a stark vocal choice sharpens a feeling, so “Compromise!”’s martial back beat and “Ancient Summer”’s full-band rumble stand out. Ultimately this is an album you feel more than follow, its luminous voice and oblique gifts making the best tracks linger long after they end.
Key Points
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“Still Life” is the best song because it is called an absolute highlight and described as hallucinatory and a rare gift.
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The album’s core strengths are its emotionally raw songwriting, inventive chance-based composition, and sparing but impactful use of band textures.
Themes
