Susan Frances
08/22/08, 12:16 PM
Azeda Booth - In Flesh Tones
Record Label: Absolutely Kosher
Release Date: July 22, 2008
If you can picture weightless atmospherics, lithesome electro blips, ethereal sonic silhouettes, and aquatic bliss then you are entering the world of Azeda Booth’s latest release, In Flesh Tones. The Canadian ambient-pop group has a shoegaze wonderment liken to Great Northern, an eerie nocturnal serenity reminiscent of My Bloody Valentine, and shimmery synth glazes reflective of Norwegian-born/UK recording artist, Kate Havnevik. The songs passages sound like they travel through the cosmos across the Milky Way and into distant galaxies. There is an airy, hypnotic sheen in the tracks, which by the fifth track, “Lobster Quadrille,” starts to become predictable and mundane. Though the band does not diversify their dynamics much from the listener’s prospective, In Flesh Tones is an album that makes for great mood music when you just want to chill-out and soak in some airy vibrations.
The steady beats and flowy atmospherics of “Ran” are proofed with lush synth tones and soft vocals by lead singer/guitarist Jordon Hossack which are both comparable to Goldfrapp. The lyrics reveal feelings of intimacy like in “Ran” when Hossack questions, “How can you bring yourself to love me / When a hope can die like a body can / Does it make you weak / When you hear me speak / Maybe on Sunday morning we’ll wake up under different ceilings / With different feelings.” Though the lyrics may seem sad at times, the music remains uplifting. In fact, with twelve tracks on the album, Azeda Booth seemed to not know when to pull the plug on making music. The aquatic prints and weightless coasting of “In Red” is calming, and the balladry momentum of “First Little Britches” has a succor effect on the senses. The soft electro glitters of “Lobster Quadrille” are dotted with gently crashing cymbals and lightly tapping bleeps.
The atmospherics in “East Village” feels like a journey through the cosmos, and the percolating beats of “Numberguts” are dipped into cauldrons of dreamy, hypnotic riffs and lacy curls that print and repeat consecutively. Hossack’s whispery vocals on “Big Fists” are moored by wharfs of loosely packed synths and delicately tied ropes of notes. The airy lanes crisscrossing through “Well” have junctions of gentle trip-hop beats, and the featherlight synths of “Kensington” are perforated by a ticking metronome puncturing the creamy synth clouds, while the wistful arias of “Brown Sun” and “Be It” close out the album with sheer unwavering serenity.
It’s music that New Age enthusiasts would love, as well as anyone looking for tranquility in their music. In Flesh Tones has its high points, and mundane moments where the songs begin to wash into each other. Still, it’s an album that is quite pleasing and calms the senses like a good back rub.
Great Northern, Kate Havnevik, My Bloody Valentine, Lost Ocean
http://www.myspace.com/azedabooth
Record Label: Absolutely Kosher
Release Date: July 22, 2008
If you can picture weightless atmospherics, lithesome electro blips, ethereal sonic silhouettes, and aquatic bliss then you are entering the world of Azeda Booth’s latest release, In Flesh Tones. The Canadian ambient-pop group has a shoegaze wonderment liken to Great Northern, an eerie nocturnal serenity reminiscent of My Bloody Valentine, and shimmery synth glazes reflective of Norwegian-born/UK recording artist, Kate Havnevik. The songs passages sound like they travel through the cosmos across the Milky Way and into distant galaxies. There is an airy, hypnotic sheen in the tracks, which by the fifth track, “Lobster Quadrille,” starts to become predictable and mundane. Though the band does not diversify their dynamics much from the listener’s prospective, In Flesh Tones is an album that makes for great mood music when you just want to chill-out and soak in some airy vibrations.
The steady beats and flowy atmospherics of “Ran” are proofed with lush synth tones and soft vocals by lead singer/guitarist Jordon Hossack which are both comparable to Goldfrapp. The lyrics reveal feelings of intimacy like in “Ran” when Hossack questions, “How can you bring yourself to love me / When a hope can die like a body can / Does it make you weak / When you hear me speak / Maybe on Sunday morning we’ll wake up under different ceilings / With different feelings.” Though the lyrics may seem sad at times, the music remains uplifting. In fact, with twelve tracks on the album, Azeda Booth seemed to not know when to pull the plug on making music. The aquatic prints and weightless coasting of “In Red” is calming, and the balladry momentum of “First Little Britches” has a succor effect on the senses. The soft electro glitters of “Lobster Quadrille” are dotted with gently crashing cymbals and lightly tapping bleeps.
The atmospherics in “East Village” feels like a journey through the cosmos, and the percolating beats of “Numberguts” are dipped into cauldrons of dreamy, hypnotic riffs and lacy curls that print and repeat consecutively. Hossack’s whispery vocals on “Big Fists” are moored by wharfs of loosely packed synths and delicately tied ropes of notes. The airy lanes crisscrossing through “Well” have junctions of gentle trip-hop beats, and the featherlight synths of “Kensington” are perforated by a ticking metronome puncturing the creamy synth clouds, while the wistful arias of “Brown Sun” and “Be It” close out the album with sheer unwavering serenity.
It’s music that New Age enthusiasts would love, as well as anyone looking for tranquility in their music. In Flesh Tones has its high points, and mundane moments where the songs begin to wash into each other. Still, it’s an album that is quite pleasing and calms the senses like a good back rub.
Great Northern, Kate Havnevik, My Bloody Valentine, Lost Ocean
http://www.myspace.com/azedabooth