(01.21.05) From the initial opening crystalline shards of reversed pads and an angelic choir on “The Loss and the Finding” to the last droplets of ethereal strings and synths heard on “Last Impression,” Jess Stroup fashions an enjoyable cinematic electro experience on Five Oceans, his latest album recorded under his Reed Rothchild alias and as a newly minted member of the quality roster of artists in the Fateless Flows collective.
Midway thru “In A Sleep, In A Dream,” the base of the rhythm pauses to reveal a widescreen shot of lush chords floating above the clouds that continue on “Airplane Sky” while “Holding Pattern” ascends back down to ground level with a subtle approach. On “Five Oceans,” the lead melody mimics the wind combing the chords that sway like the ebb and flow of the tides as the sunset melts into the horizon. The short “Magnum Opus” gives us time to catch our collective breath after gasping at the beauty of “Five Oceans” with warm guitar licks muzzling against a gentle flickering moonlit rhythm. Sandwiched between the busy city window watching electro of “Up Again” and “Fading Out & Coming Back Again” is the sad-eyed melody of “Wonderkind.” “The Precious” shows
the funkier side of Five Oceans, if not for less than a minute. “Headache Lullaby” sweeps the projectors clean for a clear focus on “Last Impression,” Five Oceans‘ closing emotional high point that combines breathtaking strings and synths the likes of which I have not heard since Moby’s brilliant but criminally hard to find Little Idiot album.
Anyone seeking out a soundtrack to accompany a long journey would be wise to select Five Oceans, especially if the title track and “Last Impression” will be connected to lasting memories. I’m certain there will be many more forthcoming with the next Reed Rothchild release.
Five Oceans is out now on Nophi Recordings.
- Nophi Website
- Reed Rothchild Website
