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The big, muffled orchestra hits and retro-violin strands of Candlelight blend so nicely with the modern electro-breakbeats and other light effects. (The thing that kills it for me though is the overuse of the spoken female "I use the tools, the weapons of my mind" sample which appears in various forms no less than 38 times.)
An electronic buzz shears its way through the opening of Crew Cut (4:12); a light backdrop and sly beats are joined by a brassy, boozy trumpet riff which gives the whole piece a pleasant 3-drink fuzziness. A spooky haze and wavering violin solo paint Texas Yellow with a slightly melancholy atmosphere, though the hard-working drum section certainly seems perky enough. A quiet guitar mini-riff and bass add further distinction to this smooth outing.
A deep bass groove drives The Peddler, a hazy tune which also includes a staticy (and more sparingly applied) sample of "Don't you know me?", reverberant sonar-like pulses, and assorted turntable effects which add a twisted street vibe.
Eerie xylo and harp strums are intertwined with animal-like squeaks to steer the Ice Cream Van down its surreal route. Beats, light guitar and odd accordian-ish accents are all very low-key like a runny watercolor.
A western-style guitar scale is backed by a mournful bass and electric drumbeats, giving Unspoken that ol' lonesome feeling. Sax and synth decorations flavor the track even more, as do relative lulls which radiate in expansive isolation. A very cool track!
Long strains of faraway-sounding brass open Nile Rose (8:11); the beats are firmly insistent without being downright pushy. The distant horn sounds are embellished with high-pitched squiggles and reverberations. Natural Rye sprouts a funkier rhythm and guitar strum while a clanky beat pounds behind a shimmering veil of string sounds.
Notes from a haunted music box and rough beats stoke up Texas Mellow, which is soon dominated by deep, coarse synth-buzz; that tone alone sends a thrill, and works well with the various accents thrown at it, like radio static and warbling frequencies.
Something like a sputtering electrical current lights the fuse of Shitewrecked, while murkily blurred cymbals fan the flames. More of the antiquated orchestral samples appear in the form of stand-up bass and string section, while the beats update the tempo.
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