As one half of dream pop duo
Houses
, producer/songwriter
Dexter Tortoriello
co-created lush and often haunting tracks with his creative partner,
Megan Messina
. The pair's songs often employed electronic elements, but retained a certain organic feel even in their most programmed moments. Working alone as
Dawn Golden
,
Tortoriello
doesn't stray completely from the hushed, heavy tones of
, but presents his tunes with a far more stark, minimally electronic approach. Debut album
Still Life
follows 2011 EP
Blow
and was recorded over the course of three years at producer
Diplo
's Mad Decent studio,
working in close proximity to the star-studded beatmaker and absorbing some of his production sheen on
. Though a far cry from the radio pop that was getting made nearby during the recording of the album, its songs have some subtle similarities, such as the relentless bass pulse and highly treated vocals of "I Won't Bend" and the minimal hooks of "All I Want." The muted R&B tones of the album have much in common with contemporaries like
Rhye
, employing the same backwards-looking influence of soulful '80s wonders like
Sade
and
the Blue Nile
but passing it through a stripped-down filter of bedroom electronics and futuristic beats. Distorted beats, heavy vocal editing, and spare, unprocessed piano make up some of the album's best moments, such as the restless and desperate churn of "Swing" as well as the somber title track. The album's ten songs amount to a deeply melancholic study in electronic textures meeting disparaging sentiments, but isn't a complete downer. Instead,
merges crushing emotional currents with innovative production for a debut that's bold and crisp, if somewhat harrowing in its darkest moments. ~ Fred Thomas