Bachelorette is just a couple of weeks away - the release date for this one is May 16th. We've been lucky enough to have this one on our to-do list for a while now, and I've given it more than the obligatory listen-through, which is always a good sign.I'm always a fan of a cohesive album, rather than just a thrown-together collection of different songs. I'm not actually sure whether it's true cohesion, or just Annabel Alpers' distinctive style that holds Bachelorette together, but there's a common thread that's definitely satisfying.
That level of consistency has the unusual effect of making Bachelorette sound quite a lot like the soundtrack to an independent movie. It's atmospheric and electronic, and would make the ideal backing to a montage. Stick it on your iPod and walk down the street, and you're halfway there.
High Points
Blanket has been doing the rounds in the pre-release promotion of Bachelorette. I'm not the biggest fan of the start of the track, but it has a great closing refrain and blends wonderfully into Polarity Party, which follows it on the album. It worries me that download sales - and the ability to buy any track on its own - could spell the end of blending from one track to the next, even on artists' own albums.
The Last Boat's Leaving is by no means light-hearted, but has its share of fun, with lyrics like "wah wah wah wah" representing a baby's cries. It's an interesting contrast of serious and a softer side to Alpers, which works well in the song.
Blanket has been doing the rounds in the pre-release promotion of Bachelorette. I'm not the biggest fan of the start of the track, but it has a great closing refrain and blends wonderfully into Polarity Party, which follows it on the album. It worries me that download sales - and the ability to buy any track on its own - could spell the end of blending from one track to the next, even on artists' own albums.
The Last Boat's Leaving is by no means light-hearted, but has its share of fun, with lyrics like "wah wah wah wah" representing a baby's cries. It's an interesting contrast of serious and a softer side to Alpers, which works well in the song.
The Verdict
To enjoy Bachelorette, you're gonna need to like a few things. Electronic effects are one. Repetition is another - we're talking about dance music, sample-driven repetition, not a lack of imagination. Perhaps 'iteration' would be a better word to use. A love of mellowed-out, introspective trance-like tracks would serve you well, too.
Basically, I'd say you'll need to be willing to judge this album on its own merits. Don't ask it to be popular music, and it won't disappoint you. As for Alpers, her ethereal voice is the perfect match for the acoustic landscapes that are created in each track, transporting the listener to another world of musical imagination that I, for one, am happy to visit from time to time.
Final Score: 68%
2 comments:
exactly my tought of the album. really, to judge it for what it is.
Thanks Marey - I think it's always best to judge albums as individual works, rather than to compare them with existing music, but it especially helps with the less mainstream releases. Bachelorette is a fine example of that, for sure.
Post a Comment