After receiving Grovesnor’s remix of his song, “Taxi from the Airport,” I began to really look forward to hearing his latest album, Soft Return. Then, I recently discovered his album during one of my Amoeba Records peruse-fests. Needless to say, I listened to it endlessly, developed an opinion and am now putting it down on this computer screen for you to feast your eyes upon.
I’ve been noticing that a LOT of albums that are coming out this year are from individuals either formerly or currently in a band who are trying to make it themselves as a solo artist. This week’s review comes from English electro-pop band Hot Chip’s former drummer, Rob “Grovesnor” Smoughton. Grovesnor explores everything from disco to techno to R&B to classic 70’s game show themes. That’s right; you read that.
After a heavily auto-tuned intro in “Turn Your Radio Up,” the album gets going with the original version of “Taxi from the Airport.” You may have heard of Grovesnor because of a previous post we did; actually, our very first Free Music Downloads blog featured the Bebruit remix of “Taxi from the Airport.” The track on Soft Return is a lot more tame but finds a way to be more upbeat at the same time. The “oooo’s” and choppy synths from the remix are nowhere to be found and instead we find a “Take On Me”-esque dance beat (in skeletal form). The auto-tune is nowhere to be found on Grovesnor’s voice which brings us to my first and, actually, probably ONLY problem on this album: his voice. Without the mask of the vocal effect, Grovesnor’s voice not only feels naked, but more vulnerable. He doesn’t sound confident as his voice has trouble matching the intensity of the beats, which are much to compete with. Sure, when the chorus kicks in, it’s easier for him to compete, but on the softer parts of the album I feel his voice doesn’t match.
When I say the beats are intense, they definitely can be. These beats are so layered and definitely make you want to move, which can be heard in “Find a Way to Stop Him.” There is no shortage of synths and quick beats and this upbeat song exemplifies these in such a great way, but once again, Grovesnor’s voice seems to put a damper on things a bit with his shaky and sometimes unsure voice.
“When I Saw You Dance” is another album highlight which, funny enough, reminds me of the end of the theme song for “The Cleveland Show.” The breakdowns have that heavy, layered 70’s synth work going on as well as some subtle muffled guitar under the verses. With this track, the beats aren’t as powerful (not to say they’re not good beats) so his voice doesn’t become underwhelmed.
On more than a couple of occasions, I noticed a theme in Soft Return that centers on a lover. This is most obvious with “Cuckolded,” the final track on the album. If we are at all familiar with Middle English literature (I took a whole freakin’ semester on that crap, so I’d better be), we’d know that a cuckold is a man who has been cheated on; it’s actually supposed to be a derogatory term. This song closes out the album with a bit of sadness and hopelessness as we can tell not only with the lyrics but with the music as well. Choosing to skimp on the effects and do away with a beat altogether, Grovesnor finds himself focusing on his lyrics and voice to display his pain. Strings are even brought in at the end to add an exclamation point to this SAD! song.
Soft Return is full of delightful beats and great influences from genres spanning the radiowaves throughout the generations. As I griped and griped about before, my only gripe is his voice. I only wish he had the same confidence he did in the remix of “Taxi from the Airport” … Perhaps using auto-tune throughout the album would have helped, but then he runs the risk of becoming the White Kanye. At any rate, this record definitely deserves a shot, if only for the beats. They’re creative and fun and definitely worth it if you can get past his voice.
Bonus Tracks: “Dan” and “Nitemoves”
If you’re not tired of readin’, check out these blogs too!:
- Free Music Download – “Taxi from the Airport (Bebruit Remix)” by Grovesnor
- Mailo’s Editorial – Digital or CD?
- Album Review – Night Work by Scissor Sisters
- Sara’s Editorial – Digital or CD?
- Album Review – Interpreting the Masters, Vol. 1: A Tribute to Daryl Hall and John Oates by The Bird and the Bee