Chon - Homey
ARTIST........: Chon
TITLE.........: Homey
LABEL.........: Sumerian Records
URL...........: http://www.chonofficial.com
GENRE.........: Instrumental Rock
QUALITY:......: 254 kbps avg/ 44100Hz / Joint Stereo
RIP DATE......: 2017-06-23
RELEASE DATE..: 2017-06-17
Tracklist:
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01. Sleepy Tea 3:05
02. Waterslide 3:26
03. Berry Streets 3:28
04. No Signal 3:48
05. Checkpoint 3:05
06. Nayhoo 2:51
07. Here and There 3:40
08. The Space 2:47
09. Feel This Way 3:43
10. Continue? 4:15
11. Glitch 2:05
12. Wave Bounce 3:02
Total 39:15
Release Notes:
Review Summary: A glass of icy-cold pink lemonade by the beach
At this point, CHONÆs identity has been well-established. Throughout the years
theyÆve cultivated their blend of light-hearted jazzy math rock, the kind that
evokes imagery of sun-drenched beaches and sparkling ocean water. And no matter
how static such a formula may get, it will remain pleasant at the minimum. Had
CHON opted entirely for complacency, Homey would still be an easily digestible
album, albeit one leaving very little of an aftertaste.
Initially, it would seem that Homey mostly hits the standard marks of a CHON
album. ôSleepy Teaö is just as its title says, a refreshing beverage during an
afternoon lull; itÆs also the first exposure of the crisp, slightly resonant
guitar tone of Homey that slots into the open-sounding production. Curiously,
the guitars seem to be mixed a little lower than usual - but this may make more
sense as the album goes on. ôWaterslideö flows as fluidly as its namesake - itÆs
the relaxed, breezy track that weÆve come to expect from the band. For the most
part, Homey still consists of the customary instrumental pieces that CHON
produce, and thereÆs absolutely nothing wrong with that; ôCheckpointö inserts
some lively soloing that makes me recall some of PliniÆs more adventurous
moments, ôHere and Thereö finds its groove to a syncopated beat, and ôThe Spaceö
employs playful pitch-shifting that might be a fun tribute to archetypal
space-themed songs. ôContinue?ö is particularly clever with its quizzical
upwards runs, which leave a mark of uncertainty that fits entirely with the
question being asked. ItÆs difficult not to enjoy, at least to some degree, the
effortlessly upbeat feel of such tracks; youÆd be hard-pressed to find something
blatantly wrong with their core.
But thatÆs not it, of course. On Homey, CHON experiment on four particular
tracks, each with a featured artist or two. These are songs which are decidedly
outside of habitual territory: unusually, they are driven by electronic beats,
and the guitars often stand aside to provide support to the glitchy synthetic
landscape. ôBerry Streetö (feat. GoYama) and ôFeel This Wayö (feat. Giraffage)
are sample-centred, whereas ôNayhooö (feat. Masego & Lophile) has dedicated
verses; ôGlitchö (feat. ROM) is the only instrumental piece out of the four. IÆm
particularly fond of ôNayhooö and its vocal presence - itÆs an extra touch of
sensuality that came as a surprise to me on my first listen. The fact that these
tracks fit coherently into Homey should count as a success for CHON - theyÆre
stylistically distinct, veering into the realms of hip-hop, trip-hop and R&B,
yet they seamlessly continue the atmosphere of the rest of the album. These
ôunconventionalö tracks are strategically scattered throughout Homey to provide
variety, and I think they work: CHONÆs core principles of songwriting are still
intact, but they have now been applied in a way that demonstrates flexibility.
The album artwork of Homey encapsulates it well: itÆs warm and sunny, inviting,
and not without particular irregularities that happen to work in its favour. In
an alternative universe this could have been nothing more than easy-going music
with just the right amount of complexity to prevent it from immediately going
stale - refined carbohydrates with sprinkles, so to speak. CHON could have
chosen to pursue the path of simple pleasures, but theyÆve thrown in new
ingredients into the mix and itÆs more than sweet.