The Umbrella Sequence - Events
ARTIST.....: The Umbrella Sequence
TITLE......: Events
LABEL......: Princess Records
URL........: www.theumbrellasequence.com
RIP DATE...: May-16-2007
STORE DATE.: May-11-2007
GENRE......: Indie
QUALITY....: VBR / 44.1Hz / Joint-Stereo
SIZE.......: 48,3 MB
Track Listing:
01 - Urban Lull (At Once Charmed) 03:40
02 - This Time We're Positive 03:23
03 - Bus 12 02:02
04 - Et Tu Forte? 03:01
05 - At The Great Lake 04:54
06 - Life Events And Sinking Ships 04:20
07 - Elephant 03:47
08 - The Need To Make Lists 05:00
09 - Purple Roads 04:03
─────
34:10 min
Release Notes:
www.princessrecords.com
www.myspace.com/theumbrellasequence
The cover art on the Umbrella Sequence's latest CD, Events,
depicts a despondent businessman sitting at a desk that has
sprouted robotic arms and legs, like some sort of cube-toppling
Transformer. It's the kind of abstract/absurd artwork that lends
itself to whatever metaphor strikes your fancy. What I see is
defeated resignation - an admission that the soulless beast of
technology is now firmly in charge, and humanity is just along for
the ride.
But the disc inside argues to the contrary. In Events, the band
gathers random samples, loops, blips, bleeps, whirrings, and
whatnots and massages them into nine tracks of joyful, seamless,
and - most importantly - accessible electronic pop.
Opener "Urban Lull" demonstrates the foursome's penchant for
quirky, dreamy melodies that churn along lazily, a la the Flaming
Lips. Singer Ryan Rupprecht's bashful falsetto flits playfully
with brightly strummed guitars, tinkling chimes, and the random
phaser-like synth sound.
On "This Time We're Positive," the band members pull the song
structure apart and slow down the tempo to conjure up distinct
echoes of Halloween, Alaska. Drummer Marshall Baltzell lays down a
particularly wet and muffled drum track that plods along beneath a
warbling, descending synth line, lulling you into an eerie but
contented stupor.
This trend toward unhurried sonic exploration is fully realized on
the final track, "Purple Roads." The omnipresent sound of falling
rain cradles a minimalist, melancholy piano line that slowly
dissolves into the faintest of lingering feedback loops. It's
organic, beautiful, and utterly human. (www.citypages.com)