The sophomore full-length album from New Zealand's
Grayson Gilmour
, 2017's superb
Otherness
finds him moving further into the emotive, elegantly layered electronic sound he's been exploring since his debut, 2010's
No Constellation
. However, where that album showcased his lyrical baroque pop inclinations, full of piano, acoustic guitar, strings, and sundry other instruments,
reveals his knack for crafting epic, slow-burn, '80s-style anthems that straddle the borders between EDM, indie electronica, and classic singer/songwriter pop. Thankfully, he hasn't completely done away with his organic baroque pop vibe, and cuts like the lushly romantic "Twenty-One Tattoo" and the yearning "Be a Beacon" balance purple-hued synth backdrops with gorgeously attenuated orchestral string parts. Similarly engaging are tracks like the sparkling "Better Life," with its reverb-laden guitar accents, and the downtempo-meets-shoegaze-inflected "Sundowning," with its swirling strings and keyboard washes set unexpectedly against a sophisticated, brushed jazz drum pattern. These are endlessly romantic, deeply felt songs that hinge nicely upon
Gilmour
's soft, breathy croon, a sound that brings to mind a mix of
Imogen Heap
,
Todd Rundgren
, and
Ride
lead singer
Mark Gardener
. In that sense, fans of similarly inclined bands like
M83
and
James Blake
will also find plenty to connect with here. It also doesn't hurt that
has a gift for memorable melodic statements, and many of these tracks stick in your ear and beg for repeated spins. Ultimately, with
has crafted a sophisticated, artfully rendered album of electronic music that breathes and pulses with a human heart. ~ Matt Collar