Captivating grooves abound on the west coast duo’s first UK LP.
Smorgasbord albums can be trying listens, attempts to mesh a mishmash frequently resulting in missteps undermining what might’ve otherwise been a solid and satisfying collection. Ambition is to be encouraged, sure; but when acts think of themselves too highly, assuming that if they can nail rudimentary indie-rock riffs then a little electro aside segueing into some half-arsed mimicking of something avant-garde is fair game too, end products are rarely worth the polycarbonate plastic they’re presented on.
Peaking Lights, a husband-and-wife duo from America’s west coast, take the right approach to incorporating myriad influences into a streamlined soundworld: use only what you need, not what you can just because it’s there. So echoes of dub, twitches of house, the lo-fi sigh of chillwave and the rough-edged charm of bedroom-born indie swirl about a psychedelic centre that roots everything in solid foundations. From here tangents sprout; but never do the pair lose sight of a key motif, something to lock onto and embrace the attention. Tiger Eyes (Laid Back) recalls the half-asleep beats of Screamadelica, placing a percussive backbone behind airy vocals from Indra Dunis. As its suffix suggests, Birds of Paradise Dub Version presents similar reverberations, low-end rumbles stretched into enveloping waves of rippling warmth. Throughout, delicate and sparse guitar work navigates the track towards The xx as reimagined by King Midas Sound: surely a sound worth experiencing by the many.
Lees de rest van deze review op BBC CD recensies (Engels)
Bron: BBC Music