THE SOMNAMBULANTS Paper Trail
Clairaudience Collective Recordings; 2007
Paper Trail, the Somnambulants second full length album, has a mix of textures and moods that blends 1960's pop music hooks and frigid electro grooves. Songwriter and Somnabulant mastermind Joseph White shares singing duties with chanteuse Channing Sargent, whose chilly, disembodied voice blends with the synthesizers and provides a counterpoint to White's morose baritone.
Lyrically the record describes the pressures and struggles of the rat race and urban living, where the days of work grind you down and the nights are tense with suffocating closeness. The bleak lyrical feeling is matched by the icy sound of synthesizers, and the computer's rhythmic precision offers no sympathy from the lock-step grooves.
The Somnambulant's roots in the early 2000's electroclash scene shines on tracks like "Take it On." The fuzzed-out synth bass line and cracking snare hits of the drum machine predominate the sound. With a vibe similar to Adult, this is music for despondent and disillusioned people who still like to dance.
The Somnabulants break the mold on "Water Colors," which cruises on a psychedelic groove and Spanish guitar that takes you to a warm sexy place inhabited by Tropicalia rockers like Os Mutantes or Caetano Veloso. Another surprise is the 1960's soul flavor of "Treat me Right" and "The Facts," which rides a popping bass groove and a relentless tambourine to be the most shaking, stomping track on this record.
Paper Trail is an interesting juxtaposition of styles that feels exciting but not fully realized. The synth's severe precision drains the cheer from the pop music, while the upbeat grooves dull the electro edge, and the record feels stuck in the middle. Still, White has taken on an ambitious musical challenge and, as Paper Trail shows, he is well on his way to making some sensational music.
Paper Trail, the Somnambulants second full length album, has a mix of textures and moods that blends 1960's pop music hooks and frigid electro grooves. Songwriter and Somnabulant mastermind Joseph White shares singing duties with chanteuse Channing Sargent, whose chilly, disembodied voice blends with the synthesizers and provides a counterpoint to White's morose baritone. 