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 | Love Spirals Downward:Flux (Projekt - 1998) As Love Spirals Downward, Ryan Lum and Suzanne Perry have been carving out their niche in the ethereal guitar-and-female-voice category for several releases now. Flux marks a new development in their sonic stylings... think beats. |
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Smooth, urbane percussion effects blend seamlessly into their already-silky sounds. (We're talking sophisticated breakbeats, as opposed to bludgeoning disco-drumming. ) If I were going to genre-fy it, I'd call it Ethereal Pop, but the overall result is certainly subdued enough to have ambient qualities. The level of recording quality is top-notch also, having been mastered by none other than Robert Rich.
For the most part, the tracks on Flux do flow almost ambiently; the guitar sounds are lushly processed, almost liquid; bass passages also blend in rather than stand out; Suzanne's vocals tend to blur so they're more of a sound than a lyric. I suppose my only gripe is that when her words do reveal themselves, they tend to sound like a lot of pop lyrics, which equals drivel (which is why I tend to eschew pop lyrics...) Those new beats open City Moon, which sets the stage for things to come. Suzanne's hazy voice rises and falls over a reverberating bed of everchanging guitar passages, sometimes jangling, sometimes just humming. Alicia is differentiated by Spanish stylings, both in the guitar pickings and lyrics. The vocals are layered in a beautiful, self-harmonizing arrangement. (I like them better when I can't understand them...) Beats and bass lead us to the Sound of Waves wherein Suzanne's voice spirals high (and unintelligibly). Like waves, the electronic backdrop ebbs and flows in this shortest (3:59) piece. Psyche and By Your Side could both easily work their way onto the Adult Contemporary charts (is that a blessing or a curse?!) as the lovestruck lyrics are more discernable and the rhythms catchy. Nova features a continually ringing bell-tone and a little extra reverb tossed into its glossy mix. Ring's occasional guitar breaks remind of of the Cure's jangly goth-pop, and that's not bad. I'll Always Love You features a slightly jazzier vocal and a marginally funked-up sound with plenty of ringing guitar work. The 8-minute long player Sunset Bell closes the disc; sing-song "la-lah"s are joined by e-cymbals, a steady beat and a relatively driving bassline. To become better acquainted with Love Spirals Downward, visit their Projekt website for news, history, reviews, audio clips and/or a peek into their guestbook. |
| Flux should appeal to anyone with a taste for an artfully gentle mix of female voice, electronics and beats... a musical sedative that won't put you to sleep. I give Flux One Thumb Up. |  |
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