For me, I tend to avoid reading press releases when I review albums, and will only read them after I’ve done a review, and this is no exception. I had no idea what Is And Of The was and/or is (see how that works?) but I put faith in Mush Records and I am more than willing to take what comes to me. This comes as a total surprise: acoustic sounds that dominate over a hint of electronic-based production. Electronic folk? Folktronica? Progressive electroni-something or other? I’m not sure, but what appeals to me about electronic music is how one can find life in essentially lifeless sounds, so that the lifeless has a metaphorical heartbeat. In this case, what Is And Of The does is embraces the heart by adding in their brand of organic qualities into the mix, and comes up with something that may not be entirely new, but is nice to hear it in this context.
Some of the songs sound like the early works of The ORB, where they are trippy electronic instrumental adventures, but then comes “Sleepless Dream” and its comes off like complex minimalism with a slight pop touch. The first two songs on the album do not sound like anyting you’d hear on the radio, but then comes this song and it’s airplay-ready. Other sounds sound as scatterbrained as Reaching Quiet, but Is and of The is primary instrumental, but there’s a wicked energy that moves me to stay in the album for the duration, where I’m met with some nice, perhaps slightly unintentional soul (although I have a funny feeling it’s just instrumental soul wearing a jacket for the sake of not wanting to be noticed).
Heads Phased For Dreamless Sleep could easily be a wallflower of an album, but it’s one that desires to be heard and seen, which makes it a very pleasant listen. - This Is Books Music |
