Lost Balloons

Lost Balloons are Jeff Burke (Radioactivity, Marked Men, etc etc) and Yusuke Okada (of Japan’s incredible Suspicious Beasts). Hey Summer (2017) is their 2nd album, following 2015’s self-titled debut on German’s Alien Snatch Records. (one of the few Marked Men-related records of recent years that Dirtnap DIDN’T put out!) The 2 play all the instruments (although there is a live lineup as well) and split singing/songwriting duties. Hey Summer works fantastically well as an ALBUM, meant to be listened to from start-to-finish.

Wistful, sunshiney 60’s-inspired pop with a bit of 80’s college rock jangle and even a little modern garage/Americana twang, Hey Summer represents a pretty big departure from a normal Jeff Burke project. (and although it’s sonically a LITTLE closer to Okada’s Suspicious Beasts, it veers farther afield of his normal songwriting comfort zone as well) Jeff says that this album is probably the least “punk” record he’s ever done. We would agree, but don’t think that that is a bad thing. Rather it confirms what we’ve long suspected: That these two can master any genre that they tackle, and make it fully their own.