Sweet Trip
's second full-length,
Velocity : Design : Comfort
, is an intoxicating blend of
indie pop
melody,
shoegaze
-style sonic overload, and
electronic
drum'n'bliss. A dense and sprawling record, each song is layered with skittering,
glitchy
drumbeats, distorted and broken sounding synths, hazy
guitars, and the blissful vocals of
Valerie Reyes
. Main
Sweet Tripper
Roberto Burgos
has crafted a record that is overflowing with small details and sonic surprises that make each song a delight and add up to push the record into minor classic status. It may sound like empty hyperbole or press pack tomfoolery, but at its best,
truly sounds like what one might assume
Kevin Shields
would sound like today if he could ever manage to get his act together. Their sound is woozy, dreamy, deeply emotional, and extremely unpredictable. Songs like the epic
"Velocity"
or
"International"
are so packed to the brim with sound and adventure that every listen will leave you shaking your head at the sheer beauty and sonic achievement involved. Some of the other tracks that will have you jumping up and down with happiness are the
"Dsco,"
a track
New Order
in its prime would have killed for, pulsating with overdriven synths and
Burgos
and
Reyes
' angelic vocals,
"Dedication,"
a careening blast of noisy drums and breathtaking melody, and the simply stunning
"To All the Dancers in the World, a Round Form of Fantasy,"
which stretches sound in all sorts of wonderful ways and is actually the most
MBV
-sounding track on the album. Most likely this record will disappear from view without a trace, but it really shouldn't. It should be at the forefront of the charge being led by bands like
Manitoba
,
Four Tet
, and
Dntel
, which make very forward-thinking records that confound expectations and don't leave the past (i.e., melody and songcraft) behind. Simply put,
is one of the most interesting and best records of 2003; you really should check it out. ~ Tim Sendra