Long Distance Calling – How Do We Want To Live? : A Review

Long Distance Calling (LDC) are an instrumental band from Germany and are back with their seventh album ‘How Do We Want To Live?’

And it sounds good. It has a great album cover, much better than a lot of stuff that’s been released recently. The cover reminds me of an Arthur C Clarke or Frank Herbert book. Love it.

Now onto the review itself. And to put it on front street, this was the first time I have listened to LDC and it took less than 4 minutes to make me a fan.

The album opens up with a song split into two parts, “Curiosity”. And it sounds like something Pink Floyd would put out but with a harder edge to it. LDC do have some soft edges but they also balance songs with hard edges, and for me, it works. At about 2.50 into Curiosity part 2 when they change it up and the guitar comes in over the drums, it sounds great. It took less than 4 minutes to make me a fan.

“Hazard” carries that feeling on and it comes back in a strong way during “Immunity”. However, it is after “Immunity” that the album drags a little. They are prog, so I was expecting (and hoping) for some weirdness, some self indulgence and a bit of strange and LDC have that, yet for some reason there were times when it became a bit too much and weighed the songs down.

There is a clear message behind the album. There is a section in Ashes which sounds like Agent Smith from the first Matrix movie when he talks to Morpheus and calls humanity bacteria. And given everything that has happened recently it is an important conversation for us all to have with ourselves and others.

Conclusion

Overall I like this album. There are moments that make me want to listen to them over and over again I’ll be checking out their back catalogue in case I can find others.

Score 7.5/10

Tracklisting

1. Curiosity (Part 1) (02:56)
2. Curiosity (Part 2) (04:26)
3. Hazard (06:08)
4. Voices (07:54)
5. Fail / Opportunity (03:07)
6. Immunity (05:40)
7. Sharing Thoughts (07:25)
8. Beyond Your Limits (06:24)
9. True / Negative (02:33)
10. Ashes (06:12)
    Label
    InsideOut
    Release
    26th June 2020

    For all things Long Distance Calling, click HERE and to purchase the album, click HERE