Dominque Leone – Abstract Expression 8.6

When I heard this, I immediately liked it. Here’s an album that is ambitious, weird, and near obnoxiously positive. Yet between that positive attitude is a vulnerability, like he’s about to collapse into a pure nervous wreck. His delivery reminds me strongly of Kevin Blechdom’s almost forced cheerfulness, of having a breakdown live on Public Access.

                Right from the intro track, you’re given the template for the entire album. Thick, playful keyboards and almost nonsensical lyrics meet you, ready to take you into his strange alternate universe where 70s classics like Electric Light Orchestra are distorted almost beyond recognition. Progressive rock sinks its teeth into each composition.

                The album starts out near schizophrenic, especially the first official track “Cover Yourself” which has about 18 parts for a 5 minute song. Most people will hate this. ADD addled music doesn’t fare well with most normal people. Basically, if you’re into experimental and pop music, he melts the two together into an oddly enjoyable art.

                Choruses are aplenty; these appear to breathe even more live into already teeming structures. “Sometimes You’ve Got to be Happy” takes a slower approach, allowing for a flowing movement. Occasionally he busts out absolutely “Whoa, that’s pretty ridiculous” sorts of keyboard stunts, but you can tell he’s trying to restrain himself, with mixed results. Probably the most progressive rock he gets is the goofy “Happy New Year”.

                Winding down the songs’ intensity gradually is a nice way to treat the listener. Having an intense beginning is a good thing, but that level of energy would probably exhaust anybody. There’s a lot of humor on this record, which can be a bit of a turn off. Don’t let it be, it is a shockingly excellent affair from the utmost of music snobs (he used to write for Pitchfork).

Chris Rehm – Worries, etc. 7.8

                I’d never heard Chris’s stuff before this. After listening to it, I realize what an egregious error that was on my part. Somehow Chris is able to effortlessly reference ambient, noise, and bits of guitar without seeming crowded. What’s more impressive is he’s able to do this in less than 30 minutes. 

                All of this is technically experimental, but what binds the stuff together is an emotional flow, rather than any sonic kind. This makes it a bit more direct and personal than your average run of the mill experimental release. The passages all indicate a different sort of concern (worry, if you will) and it progresses as such. 

                “Worries” begins as a near whisper. Color is added as the piece develops, becoming warmer and warmer as it reaches its conclusion. It flows perfectly into the next song “Blinders” my personal favorite on the album. Genres don’t exist for whatever “Blinders” might be, but I’d be tempted to call it “Post Surf Rock”. It is the kind of thing you’d listen to on the beach after you’ve finished surfing or swimming. Sun shines on you as you sit, tired but happy staring blankly into the distance. That’s the kind of feeling I get from this expansive song. A melody comes out so sweet out of the distortion in the second part. Maybe the album could’ve begun with this, but it is nice having this as the logical conclusion of the first track.

                 “Silences” uses the effects to create the illusion of a rhythm where none exists. Later on the underlying sounds of “Silences” is used in “Keys” with its treated sounds. Guitars guide you out with the sweet song “Anxieties”. Here you actually are treated to the most straightforward approach, which seems to be distantly related to the earlier song “Vents”. 

                Everything connects well on this large EP/small album. I might need to explore the rest of this guy’s discography.    

Listen to it: Here

Dth – Young Heart Sounds 7.4

                Oh man, this is some woozy ambiance. The emotionally charged “Young Heart Sounds” allows you access into Devin Hildebrand’s life. It is weird, for you hear all these audio clips from his life. At times it feels voyeuristic. You don’t know quite what to make of what’s going on or of the rather intense sounds he uses. But you should know he’s pretty good at it, and that the album’s title should give you some indication of what you’re getting yourself into. 

                All of the songs have a certain unifying theme to them. Most of them have a sort of pulse unusual for ambiance. It feels on the verge of exploding at some parts, particularly the longer, later tracks. "Summer X” offers the greatest amount of noise and woozy effects. Towards the end of the song it feels as if the track is catching its own breath.

                Devin Hildebrand might be as honest as he can be when he calls himself a “Collage-People-Ambient” artist. All three of those elements can be easily found in his work. Having the ghostly transmissions of conversation adds to the power of the pieces. They are clearly people-focused, rather than obsessing about some sort of stale sonic rigor. These are very fast-paced ambient pieces. 

                Of course, this is free for download here by the wonderful people at Chinquapin Records. Interesting things are happening down in Louisiana.