Dntel
Life is Full of Possibilities
(Plug Research)
[6.0]
Trying to bridge the gap between the indie and electronic communities,
Dntel?s latest album, Life is Full of Possibilities, showcases indie-rock
vocalists against comforting electronic loungescapes. While in his quest to
create an exciting synergy, Dntel stumbles upon some exciting moments, but
as a whole experience only luke-warm results as they rely too heavily on
convention instead of innovation (it ends up sounding like an uninspired
Unkle-USA).
The first two tracks, ?umbrella? (with Beachwood Sparks? Chris Gunst)
and ?anywhere anyone,? (with folk songstress Mia Doi Todd) are sweet with
orchestral grace, garnished with floaty beat thumpage. When Dntel is on
point he is a formidable student of the shivers-through-music discipline.
Unfortunately, these first two tracks set the bar too high, and the love
doesn?t properly return until close to the end of the album, leaving the
middle a bit vacant.
Overall, the vocals are left mostly untouched, as Dntel often resorts
to typical reverbations and smart layering; only upon special and brief
occasion do they really get into the voice. Which is unfortunate, and leaves
the here-desire for some serious vocalist/laptop collaboration unsatisfied.
While the album is a thoroughly enjoyable listen, don?t look for any
groundbreaking work here. Too many moments sound derivative and I had
difficulty extracting the Dntel fingerprint from the droning. There are all
the warm static crackles, tight beat-hop programming, watery string
melodies, cd-skipage, and found-sound ambience we are far too familiar with,
but without a distinct voice. The sound palette plays itself out too and
you?ll probably find the songs just melding into one another, with little
catching your ear off guard along the way. The generally lethargic
atmosphere is bumped up a little on ?fireworks,? but with an unfortunately
cheesy groove this one?ll just have you reaching for the skip button.
Luckily it ends all smiles with ?the dream of evan and chan? featuring
vocals by Death Cab for Cutie vocalist Benjamin Gibbard. His overly
sensitive musings here meld well with the driving drums and heavy fuzz
squall: cheesy but lovable, the kids?ll go blush over it.
If this had come out a couple years ago Life is Full of Possibilities
could have really garnered praise, but next to recent electro-acoustic
revelations by the likes of Fennesz and Telefon Tel Aviv, this just seems a
bit second-rate. But not to relinquish Dntel of his deserved props, he
clearly put a lot of heart and thought into this and it shows. How about
collaborations with full bands?
With mild breakout potential, this one should be popular at your local
college radio station. While there are some great tracks here (pick it up if
you are sad), this just seemed like one big missed opportunity...boo-hoo.
Nathaniel Hawks
New reviews this week featuring Dunderhead, Dntel, Gescom, Lali Puna, and
Tim Tetlow. Also, an interview with Mark and Mat from SND. At
http://www.electronicmusicreviews.com
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