This album is a catchy, soulful, beautifully energetic collection that exists somewhere between trip-hop and darkwave. Sultry vocals, catchy beats, waves of electronics. A few guitars short of bands like Collide. There’s some very repeatable songs on this album, though I’m most excited for whatever comes next. You can already see this band is moving in a positive direction.
I started with the last track “Reboot”, the strongest one of the album in my opinion. Lush, mournful lyrics wash in after some skitters of synths. The harmonies raise the vocals another level, especially when it hits the crescendos. Interesting chord progressions make it quite an earworm. Curiously, it ends with an acoustic guitar bit, which demonstrates some further versatility that I’d love to see reflected in the future.
Returning to the start, “Taken From The Sun” begins with a hectic swell, which builds nicely. A much faster pace than “Reboot”, with mostly drum n’ bass percussion, slapping beneath synths growls and pad swells. There’s a gnarly drum solo halfway through that immediately made me think of Aphex Twin or Squarepusher. Despite the speed and chaos, the singing maintains a sweet flow.
The remaining songs “M” and “Not Just Dancing” continue the drum n’ bass trend with lush vocals to accompany. There’s hints of middle eastern scales in “M” that don’t always hit exactly right, but when they do, it’s goosebumping.
Overall, these are the kind of songs that pop into my head for days after listening, until I get time to come back and listen again. Lovely stuff, and I look forward to what’s coming.