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When It Falls
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When It Falls
Current price: $19.99
Barnes and Noble
When It Falls
Current price: $19.99
Size: CD
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Downbeat
acts proceed down the middle of the road at their own peril. While such a path may guarantee them a lucrative career in Starbucks outlets and on crossover compilations, the onset of advanced musicianship and mature songwriting often comes at the expense of artistic ability (see the steady downward fall of
Groove Armada
for an example).
Zero 7
, one of the few acts following in the wake of
Air
that had the talent to match, debuted with a record (
Simple Things
) that featured some of the warmest, most mellifluous tracks heard in
electronic
music since
Moon Safari
.
When It Falls
, their second record, finds the duo largely sticking to the same formula, with all the sinewy basslines and languorous vocals that follow along. As before,
is more of a band than most
downbeat
acts, with credits for bass, guitar, and drums plus keyboards, brass, flute, and strings. Much of the record is nearly perfect
, and the productions of
main men
Sam Hardaker
and
Henry Binns
mesh perfectly with the instrumentation -- so well, in fact, that the record threatens to sink into a nether region of
pop
music that's both flawless and harmless, more
adult alternative
than
. There's nothing wrong with that prospect, but when a
act begins to emulate a
act, the situation practically demands developed songs and tighter hooks. Unfortunately, only a few tracks here meet those criteria. Fortunately, though, they are beautiful indeed. On
"Home,"
new addition
Tina Dico
summons the downy, pastoral yearning that's become de rigueur for
female vocalists, and the returning
Sia Furler
shines on a track (
"Somersault"
) that's simultaneously spacy and down-home.
Sophie Barker
, the star of
'
"Destiny,"
returns for
"In Time,"
one of the sweetest tracks
has ever produced. The rest of the record, however, possesses very few of the unburnished edges needed by albums with character or personality.
reaches a nadir of sorts on
"The Space Between,"
a pleasant song that unfortunately descends into self-parody over the course of its six minutes -- two minutes of which are taken up by an overripe harmonica solo. ~ John Bush
acts proceed down the middle of the road at their own peril. While such a path may guarantee them a lucrative career in Starbucks outlets and on crossover compilations, the onset of advanced musicianship and mature songwriting often comes at the expense of artistic ability (see the steady downward fall of
Groove Armada
for an example).
Zero 7
, one of the few acts following in the wake of
Air
that had the talent to match, debuted with a record (
Simple Things
) that featured some of the warmest, most mellifluous tracks heard in
electronic
music since
Moon Safari
.
When It Falls
, their second record, finds the duo largely sticking to the same formula, with all the sinewy basslines and languorous vocals that follow along. As before,
is more of a band than most
downbeat
acts, with credits for bass, guitar, and drums plus keyboards, brass, flute, and strings. Much of the record is nearly perfect
, and the productions of
main men
Sam Hardaker
and
Henry Binns
mesh perfectly with the instrumentation -- so well, in fact, that the record threatens to sink into a nether region of
pop
music that's both flawless and harmless, more
adult alternative
than
. There's nothing wrong with that prospect, but when a
act begins to emulate a
act, the situation practically demands developed songs and tighter hooks. Unfortunately, only a few tracks here meet those criteria. Fortunately, though, they are beautiful indeed. On
"Home,"
new addition
Tina Dico
summons the downy, pastoral yearning that's become de rigueur for
female vocalists, and the returning
Sia Furler
shines on a track (
"Somersault"
) that's simultaneously spacy and down-home.
Sophie Barker
, the star of
'
"Destiny,"
returns for
"In Time,"
one of the sweetest tracks
has ever produced. The rest of the record, however, possesses very few of the unburnished edges needed by albums with character or personality.
reaches a nadir of sorts on
"The Space Between,"
a pleasant song that unfortunately descends into self-parody over the course of its six minutes -- two minutes of which are taken up by an overripe harmonica solo. ~ John Bush
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