| Come Here When You Sleepwalk is an absorbing introduction to the electro-acoustic soundscapes of Australian producer Mark Mitchell, better known as Clue to Kalo. His stateside debut is a moody record, moving from sullen tracks that revolve around Mitchell's delicate voice to beautiful instrumentals that sharply contrast his dreary demeanor. These instrumentals are gorgeous stretches of cinematic grandeur, built on layers of stuttering beats, ethereal keyboards, and weightless guitars. Conversely, Mitchell's delicate singing and sensitive persona provide the album with its emotional core, contributing moments of frank self-hatred amidst the dreamy sonics. His lyrics are depressing and self-deprecating, shutting out the listener with lines like "I'd like to love you, but I'd like a lot of things." He sounds distant, resigned to his fate yet compelled to sing about it. Because of his presence, the instrumentals don't just offer an alternative to his sad side, they provide a buffer between moments of distanced self-loathing. This approach might not have worked if Mitchell didn't have such a mature grasp of flow, but these tracks seamlessly transition into one another, gradually adding new elements and dropping others until the mood is set for the next song. This is best exemplified in the middle of the record, when the shimmering guitars and fluttering percussion of "We'll Live Free (in NYC)" subtly devolve into "This Dies Over Distance" a droning lamentation over a failed relationship. Overall, it's a wonderful debut for Clue to Kalo, and its graceful mixture of contrasting moods reveal a wonderful new talent. - All Music Guide |
2XLP/Out Of Print