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Styles of the Unexpected Andy Votel |
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Or a music for the changing times… Now does the fact that the album art is swarming with… watches hold any extreme significance? Well going by his background, one would think Votel's lived a thousand years, seen the times change hands at least a dozen more, and lay at the core of elemental and musical diversity. Youthful, exuberant and with an eye for intrigue, Votel's background comes into full play on this seven song "Styles of the Unexpected" foray into previously underdeveloped musical landmass. Early on in the form of "Urbanite Rocks," and "Girl On a GoPed," Votel's knack for easing into a subtle moment, in spite of the challenging titles, the pace is one of a soft, gentle sway at midnight… Envisioning a soulful lounge act winding down the evening, a calming influence that shuts out the outside world, where only when the female vocal entry interludes to add a sultriness-that'd be Jane Weaver, girlfriend, singer/songwriter, and not necessarily in that order one might assume. "Return of the Spooky Driver," and "Pick Pocket" again focus on the brightness of sound, the expanse of soul, with light airy moments led by cinematic beauty, amidst a bit of quirkiness for the "pop, pop" beats of the former, while the esoteric evocativeness of the latter again calls forth the night, crystal clear, starry lit, and comfortably breezy… Without advance notice, Votel's past work as DJ and Mixer among other things, though carefully hidden, is readily revealed-perhaps the shining moment here belongs to the elegantly graceful "Doe-Eyed," where charming percussive entries chime in ever so gently while the atmospheric background again recalls the spirited vision of placing the listener squarely in the middle of a pleasant dream sequence, while "RiderBrow" draws matters to a close with the only other vocalized performance provided by Lee Gorton, and a more sudden arrival of electronic, beat Pop elements, jazzed up slightly, before fading into timelessness. "Styles of the Unexpected" an embodiment of easy listening styles is an advanced body of work that takes a while to develop but earns its accolades in short order. Released by Twisted Nerve Records Review by Vinnie Apicella
[va85@columbia.edu] |