Author: Joey Marz
Lost Lakes is the brainchild of local Madison musicians Corey Mathew Hart and Paul Mitch.  On their eponymous self-titled record, it's immediately apparent that, despite being a debut collaboration, these musicians have a lot of experience playing folk music under their belts.  They also pull from a wide variety of styles throughout the album.  “Can't It Wait” has a distinctive blues feel to it, especially in the guitar work, while “Whiskey River” gives me hope that there might be some originality and vitality in the country genre after all.  The secret weapon of Lost Lakes is Hart's vocals.  When I played the album for my dad, a long-time folk fan, he compared Hart's voice to James Taylor's.  Although I'm embarrassingly unfamiliar with Taylor's work, after doing a little research, I believe my father was spot-on with that comparison.  Hart shows off his impressive range on the cheery track “Mona Lisa.”  Conversely, on “Give up the Ghost,” Hart exhibits emotional vulnerability.  That mix of talent and feeling is prevalent throughout the entire album, and, though it's only March, I believe that this is one of the most exciting records coming out of Madison this year.