With electronic music seeming to take over the shelves in your local record store, it does get rather hard to separate the wheat from the chaff. One little clue that makes a CD or artist shine (at least for this reviewer) is how much fun their stuff is to listen to. As much as I can appreciate those discs that were meticulously prepared and have a sharp intellectual edge, those that come out through for me are those that sound a little on the fly and even humorous. Many electronic artists coming around these days have that feel to them, including Mouse on Mars, Blectum from Blechdom, and (at times) Kid 606. The self-proclaimed 'dork debonair' who performs under the name, Safety Scissors, falls smack into the middle of that fine company.
Each track on this, his first full-length CD, gurgles along with dub beats taking control of your hips, seemingly half-remembered synth tones jumping in to distract you, and some warm fluid melodies making you hum before you realize what you are doing. Warmth really is the key word for this disc as each track fills your ears with lush tones that invite you to wrap yourself up in them. Vocals do take some of the spotlight on a couple of tracks, but add a nice element rather than detracting from the overall feel of those songs. The songs are playful and witty and never cease to amaze with their use of sound. A brilliantly conceived disc that is sure to get either a party or a discussion going. |