CD Review: 200 Lurkers - The Music of 200 Lurkers

200 Lurkers - The Music Of 200 Lurkers
2008, 200 Lurkers

The Music Of 200 Lurkers is very quiet and repressed in the same way that the Cowboy Junkies have always come across. Musically very talented, 200 Lurkers relies on understatement and quiet passages to draw you in closer. The downside being that if you're not listening closely you'll never have a chance to get this Cologne, Germany band. 200 Lurkers write songs that aren't exactly mournful, but don't exactly make you jump for joy either. The Music Of 200 Lurkers is contemplative and intelligent, with mellow, melancholy musical backdrops that will either lull you in or turn you away.

Highlights include The Pilot, Breathing Water, The Little Lighthouse and the live version of Space Walk that closes out the disc. This is an interesting disc, as I can see listening to it in the right mood. It's definitely not something I'd want at the gym or for an active day. I'm afraid if I listened to it at work it might lull me to sleep. But for a rainy afternoon or a quiet evening on the back deck it's perfect. The melodies are quite lovely, in general, and the arrangements are well-constructed and well-played, this is just a little too low key for a lot of situations.

200 Lurkers get high marks for intelligent lyrics, great melodies, and great songwriting. This is definitely a niche disc -- you'll either love it or not fairly quickly into your first listen, but many rewards lie beneath the still surface for those who will listen. The Music of 200 Lurkers is a worthy effort.

Rating: 3.5 Stars (Out of 5)

You can learn more about 200 Lurkers at www.200lurkers.com. You can order custom CDs from the 200 Lurkers website. Just check out the streaming audio, e-mail them to arrange payment and they’ll create a custom CD based on the tracks you’ve chosen.