| |
|
Music Archives:
Most Recent
| Highest
Rated | Alphabetical
| Highest Rated 2006
Hybrid Theory
 |
|
Manitoba:
Up in Flames
Domino, 2003
Rating: 4.8
|
|
Posted: April 25,
2003
By
Laurence Station
Manitoba (aka Dan Snaith) got the world of electronica buzzing with
2001's Start Breaking My Heart, a strong if not overawing debut,
but his sophomore effort, Up in Flames, is a genuine breakthrough.
Where Start Breaking My Heart fit snugly into the realm of jazzy
electronica, with just enough underlying tension to make
Boards of Canada
proud, Up in Flames does a full 180-degree turn on the intriguing
but scattershot sound of its precursor. Fusing the UK shoegazer movement
(My Bloody Valentine, Spacemen 3), circa 1990, with mid-to-late '60s
psychedelic/experimental rock (Beach Boys and Phil Spector), the
Canadian-born, currently London-based Snaith
achieves a near-perfect balance between electronic experimentation and
good ol' pop-rock.
Utilizing a mix of old analog equipment (Farfisa organs, glockenspiels),
classic guitars
and digital samples, Snaith spends the album's 40 minute running time
serving up an incredibly dense, but never claustrophobic platter of
squalls, tones, beats, bleats and painstakingly processed vocals to create
a bright universe of infectious rhythms and intricate melodies. "Bijoux"
uses ringing electric guitars and angelic background harmonies that would
make Brian Wilson proud to create so sumptuously rich and varied a psychedelic tapestry
-- like a musical pinwheel, complete with innumerable sampled overlays and
scorching horns. "Kid You'll Move Mountains," meanwhile, produces a Phil Spector-worthy Wall of Sound force field, complemented by lyrics that are
bathed in shimmering electronic gauze and then obliterated by a
relentlessly crashing beat. "Jacknuggeted"
is an updated Summer of Love anthem, complete with gentle guitar
strumming and earnest vocalizations, climaxing with an arrestingly modern
blender effect. "Every Time She Turns Round It's Her Birthday" reflects
the greatest UK shoegazing influence, with an extended middle section that
gives the sound a dense elasticity without noodling too excessively.
Snaith may be gazing backwards for inspiration, but he's progressing
full-steam ahead. "Skunks" is the only cut that doesn't hold up under
close scrutiny, like one long introduction to a subsequent track that
never arrives. Fortunately, it doesn't seriously impede the album's
otherwise masterful sequencing.
The main vibe conveyed on Up in Flames is one not of dark, smoky clubs,
where glow sticks and X-tabs are de rigueur, but of a spacious park on an
incredibly bright and cloudless day. Snaith soaks in the rays, offering a
uniformly optimistic outlook throughout. His debt to the club scene so
important to the success of electronica artists is well paid on "Hendrix
With Ko," serving up contagious beats and the vocal talents of Koushik
Ghosh guaranteed to keep even the most leaden feet from faltering.
While Snaith seemed content to follow in the footsteps of others, on
his debut, here it's clear that he's playing by his own rules. Up in
Flames finds him forging a fresh, exciting and adventurous new direction
that moves well beyond the current expectations and demands of the form.
With Up in Flames, the sound of post-electronica has arrived.
Site
design copyright © 2001-2007 Shaking Through.net. All original artwork,
photography and text used on this site is the sole copyright of the respective creator(s)/author(s). Reprinting, reposting, or citing any of the original
content appearing on this site without the written consent of Shaking
Through.net is strictly forbidden. Contact us at
shaking@shakingthrough.net if
you wish to use any of the material published here.
|
|
|
|
|
|
