Ohio’s Lost Friend promise to carry the banner for moody indie pop forward in 2025 with The Promises You Don’t Keep EP, which sees release on May 23 via Poptek Records.
The EP is packed with guilt, shame, and sensitivity, delivered by the enigmatic and sultry voice and mind of Christopher Palassis (who is also a guitarist in XL427, and formerly of Second Best and L’Albatros). L’Albatros recorded then blew up before properly releasing anything. Then came Second Best, which was a great name, but a duplicated name.
With Lost Friend, what remains steadfast is the strength of the songwriting and voice of scientist and guitarist Palassis, who has been the core of each band. The Promises You Don’t Keep, was in the hopper for years before last year’s release, the Echo Lane EP. But, when Palassis’ sister and bandmate, Irene Queen, began to lose her battle with cancer, it was necessary to get her beautiful voice out into the world first
After Echo Lane, the duo of Palassis and XL427’s Andy Ingram regrouped to finish the six songs here. As with most offerings from Poptek Records, there are some captivating hooks and melodies, which can be sampled below.
Photo courtesy of Lost Friend.
