The Milk Carton Kids Pen Love Letter To The Present Moment On Cathartic ‘Lost Cause Lover Fool’ (ALBUM REVIEW)

A lot has happened in folk music since The Milk Carton Kids first debuted their unique, simplistic brand of it over a decade ago. The duo of Kenneth Pattengale and Joey Ryan has experienced just as much change throughout their storied career as a singular entity providing ethereal acoustic folk to the masses. Massive soundtrack placements, Grammy nods, and starting their own folk festival are a few of the highlights that dot the duo’s extensive resume. Still, the core of The Milk Carton Kids’ legacy is their relentless dedication to their stripped-down aesthetic. 

From the beginning, it has been Pattengale, Ryan, and their guitars against a turbulent, untrustworthy world. Their discography is defined by its consistency, but more so by how the duo can captivate and astound without the stereotypical bells and whistles of modern folk or the raw draw of the genre’s finest. Their minimalism contains multitudes, and they add another layer with Lost Cause Lover Fool, the seventh studio album from The Milk Carton Kids. Their poetically palpable folk is in full force throughout these nine songs, but there is a noticeable yet subtle shift in the beloved duo’s disposition. Far from the rambling young troubadours of their earlier work, and a touch more psychedelic than 2023’s I Only See the Moon, Lost Cause Lover Fool adds an air of lush textures and spaciousness to their first album in three years. While maintaining that intimacy that skyrocketed them to the forefront of modern folk, The Milk Carton Kids find an imaginative way to repackage their individuality with careful consideration of the present moment. 

The Milk Carton Kids have always penned their songs with an empathetic ear for the world around them, sharing in the triumphs and emotional downfalls alike. Lost Cause Lover Fool captures a love in limbo, too far gone to recover, but too close to be let go of, as there may still be glimmers of hope hidden in the rubble. These songs do not wallow in the pain, nor do they encourage the age-old and difficult sentiment of simply “moving on.” Rather, Ryan and Pattengale find solace in this middle ground, writing poignant reports of their foray into an emotional state not typically recognized with such vividness and earnestness. Lost Cause Lover Fool is an exercise in the lost art of staying present, and The Milk Carton Kids did not take the task of carrying this act into a new era lightly. 

The duo’s employment of a more ambient soundscape pairs beautifully with the raw, often hard-to-hear emotional songwriting. Not that Lost Cause Lover Fool doesn’t retain the welcoming warmth of previous Milk Carton Kids’ outings, but this is a particularly vulnerable side of the duo. There is longing in every moment of this LP that forces the listener to sit in the uncomfortable truths detailed in these songs. “Blinded and Smiling” finds our hero opting for ignorance in the name of any sense of connection; the title track pairs yearning and sorrow together in a spirit-crushing fashion, and “A Friend Like You” paints a portrait of tainted yet fiery love. 

The Milk Carton Kids fearlessly sit in emotions most would run away from to fuel Lost Cause Lover Fool. A check-in from a celebrated act that reminds us of their humanity through their whirlwind of success, these nine songs do more than extend an award-winning career. Ryan and Pattengale face harsh realities while reminding us to stand firmly in our own, soaking in every snap of the heart and bruise to the spirit, knowing that it’s all part of the journey.