Shelby Bryant
Cloud-wow Music

/smells Like; 2001/

rating : 7

 



 

more info :
www.shelbybryant.com

The title of this album seems to refer to Daniel Johnston « Yip Jump Music ». This impression is reinforced by the artwork and the Daniel Johnston cover « Wedding ». However, the ex-Clears’s album does not just contain lo-fi songs. There are some (« in the sun » and « wedding ») but there are also other kind of songs : Sixties like catchy favoured tunes and more experimental ones.

The stand-out song « The Walk » makes me think of a more tunefriendly version of Love’s singer Arthur Lee because of the voice production and the seemingly sweet melody which is somehow bittersweet (maybe because of the lyrics: « I just floated by to say hello »). The gentle psychedelia of the first three songs develops into experimentations in longer songs. « Fluxogen/neverything » is a bit unbalanced for example. There are strange sounds sometimes (« the bitter wind », « totally sigmund »), which evokes childhood. The numerous voices used on some songs seem to address directly our childhood memories. These songs make me think of an imaginary cartoon soundtrack. Floaty, dreamy melodies of childhood dreams. The ones in which you still dreamt of teddy bears, clouds and merry-go-round. The artwork participates much to this impression: a boy bicycling in a scarcely clouded blue sky on a road made up of piano touches.

This album can make you become temporarily blissfully lazy if you stay idly in bed watching its sleeve and listening to the music. Try to play it during mess point ! 

-Blacklisted Igor