Motion Control is a mysterious new project by some girl I don’t know and the artist formerly known as Old Gold. I’ve been listening to them obsessively ever since a friend shot their tracks in my direction, mostly because I’ve been trying to figure out an accurate yet non-pretentious way to describe them. The best thing I can come up with is that their sound’s heavily routed in the 1980s, with one foot in freestyle and the other firmly lodged in Italo-disco.
Most likely, I have failed in both the non-pretentious and accurate department with that description, so let’s just put it this way—this is some really good stuff. You’ll like it. I swear!
So far, Amanda Mair is three for three with her self-titled debut. All signs seem to indicate that the full ten-track album will knock socks off worldwide, thereby resulting in an awkwardly sock-less state of being for all citizens of the planet Earth. Enjoy your socks while you still can, folks! They’re gonna be gone before you have time to say goodbye.
Click through (or look below) to watch the music video for “Sense”: // full post // ///
Though it appears to have been available digitally for the past month, We Have Band‘s sophomore effort Ternion was finally released today. I will admit that I had initially written off the trio as a blog-driven buzz band. If we’re being completely honest with one another, and we shall be, all I heard was a bunch of noise and excessive hullabaloo the first time I listened to Ternion.
Alas, the feeling didn’t last very long.
With each subsequent listen, I began to let my guard down and peel back the layers of the album. “What’s Mine, What’s Yours” (as heard in the video above) was my gateway drug, shortly followed by “Visionary” and “After All”. Even then, I wasn’t sold on the full package until the acceptance of these “softer” tracks led to an appreciation for the complexities of the project’s darker songs.
Eventually, light was seen in the dark on “River of Blood”. The noise from “Steel In The Groove” suddenly translated to “interesting percussion”. Weird Muppet-like breakdowns (see “Watertight”) added a charming element to an otherwise serious collection of songs. If anything, my only problem was left with the all-too-mellow closing track “Pressure On”. While it might be necessary to wind you down after the adventurous ride of Ternion, it doesn’t quite live up to the expert craftsmanship and fuller sound of the nine preceding offerings.
But, uh, nine out of ten ain’t bad, right? If you’re willing to exercise your patience and dedicate some time to Ternion, I’d highly recommend giving it a few spins. All ten songs (albeit, out of order) can be streamed on PureVolume, or you can take a chance and (gasp)order the album before you hear it.
I’ve told you what you need to know. Now, make the right decision.
