Tim Wheeler ‎- Lost Domain (2014)

Tim Wheeler’s debut solo album makes for difficult listening. Not for the reasons you may think – musically, Lost Domain is a pretty close cousin to most of his band Ash‘s output, albeit based more around the piano than the guitar. For it’s only when you examine the lyrics, and take into account the great, almost overwhelming sense of sadness and elegy that you begin to understand why this deeply personal project could only be a Wheeler solo project.

For Lost Domain’s subject matter concerns Wheeler’s late father George, who died from Alzheimer’s Disease three years ago. Every song looks unblinkingly at his decline and eventual death, and although the emotion never becomes as overwhelming as, for example, Hospice by The Antlers – there’s a stronger feeling of catharsis and healing evident on Wheeler’s record – it’s still probably not one to listen to if you’re feeling in a mentally frail state.

Snow In Nara sets the pace as the opening track – a relaxed and laid-back instrumental that’s miles away from Ash’s previous material. The tone is reflective and wistful, a tone that’s only amplified by the following End Of An Era: built around some beautiful piano chords, this shows a new side of Wheeler that may surprise those used to the guitar heroics of the past. There’s also some inspired use of strings throughout the album, giving already emotional songs such as Hospital and Vigil an added poignancy.

Strings come to the fore too on the ambitious centrepiece of the record, Medicine. Somehow never managing to overstay its welcome, despite the fact it’s a full 10 minutes long and is an understandably bleak mediation on the finality of death, Medicine shows just what a great songwriter Wheeler has matured into. It takes some doing to be this unashamedly personal without being accused of slipping into self-indulgence, but he does it nicely here.

Lost Domain could be described as a concept album in the true meaning of the word. Every song tackles illness and death (with the exception of the two instrumentals), and the record is sequenced in such a way that it can be divided into three parts: the initial shock of the diagnosis, which leads into hospital visits and death, and eventually the final coming to terms with mortality and a focus on celebrating the departed person’s life.

It’s Wheeler’s focus on this celebration of life that gives Lost Domain its added edge – the heartbreaking Vigil is, as you’d expect, upsetting and sad, given that it describes George’s final moments in his hospital bed while surrounded by his family, but Wheeler turns it into a comforting eulogy for his father, with the refrain of “you are not alone” sounding particularly touching. The gorgeous Hold and First Sign Of Spring see Wheeler tackling the notion that ‘life goes on’ to beautiful effect, while the slightly Divine Comedy-esque instrumental Vapour makes for a nice break after all the heartbreak.

Lost Domain acts as both a lovely tribute to Wheeler’s father, and further confirmation of his talent as a songwriter. He’s come a long way from songs about Jackie Chan and the Girl From Mars, and this is a painful, poignant, but ultimately life-affirming eulogy.