Gravity kicks off with a couple of tracks that neatly set out the Crewdson stall: choppy drums, tight basslines, mellow synths, manipulated vocals, incidental noises and layer upon layer of plinky, metallic, high-frequency content, like he’s sampled everything including the kitchen sink.
[Info page] I reviewed newcomer Crewdson, also known as Hugh Jones, when he released his first EP, Dust, late last year. I was impressed, to say the least. And while I’d only heard two originals (the EP’s other tracks were remixes by Grasscut and Bass Clef), I have been eagerly awaiting the forthcoming album. Now it’s finally here…
Gravity kicks off with a couple of tracks that neatly set out the Crewdson stall: choppy drums, tight basslines, mellow synths, manipulated vocals, incidental noises and layer upon layer of plinky, metallic, high-frequency content, like he’s sampled everything including the kitchen sink. In fact, most of the melodic sounds are to be found in these upper regions, with Jones seemingly doing the impossible by getting them to straddle the borders of rhythm, melody and noise.
But one thing is still missing, and you don’t quite realize it until the third tune, “Electric Wing.” As well as being a master of sampling, Jones is also a brilliant saxophonist. And it’s the gorgeous, lazy-Sunday-afternoon jazz lines he brings to the fore on this number that really sets Jones apart from the crowd. And just when you think it can’t get any better, he tops this off by throwing several sax lines together to create some phenomenal chord sequences.
Having listen to the Dust EP so much that the grooves are starting to wear out on my vinyl copy, it was great to finally hear the original versions of “Mime” and “Goodbye Old Friend,” and it’s given me renewed appreciation of the previously mentioned remixes. I have to skip seventh tune, “Dust Crawlers,” just because I can’t separate it from the Dust EP, not that this is at all meant as a slight – again, you can refer to my previous review for more info on this track.
In my opinion, the best tracks are saved until much later… “To a New Day” features a spectacular sax line that will permanently lodge itself inside your brain (I found myself humming this constantly) and “Last Joy Sticks” packs one of the meatiest grooves on the album, with driving drums, hyper arpeggiated synths and curiously off beat melodic patterns coming together to form something far more than the sum of its parts. After this, we end on the epic “Cascade,” which reminds me of the instrumental moments of Scandinavian acts such as Efterklang or Múm. It’s a fantastic end to a fantastic debut album. In short, then, I implore you to check this guy out.
Gravity will be released June 20th, 2011 on Slowfoot. [Info page]
