It seems that the various catcalls and vociferating shouts that condemned Myspace’s demise have been exaggerated if musical projects such as Rafter Roberts and Simon Lords latest new-jack-pysch-indie collaboration is anything to go by. For, the much maligned, ‘other social network’, has proved, at least, fruitful for Lord, who trawled through the abundance of artists on show to find a common spark with Roberts.
Catapulting ideas back and forth, from California to London, the two long-distance producers coax out of their digital union, a fittingly magical lo-fi electronica album. The fruits of their labour, ‘Eponymous’, playfully, if not at times too sweetly, describes a cosy love-in with nature; bordering on felicitous ‘right-on’ platitudes. Evoking hints of Why?, Clor and The Unicorns, Lord’s soulfully whimsy, and meditative musings, are bruised and suffused by Roberts’ twisted metallic panel-beaten accents, Prince style r’n’b sass, and heavy burbling sound-clashes. Yes you could say that they channel a wide imagination of sounds. The single ‘Windmill’ taking the exotic bump and grind bounce of clubland and Missy Elliott, and pairing it with a mocking bit-crusher crunching guitar lick; whereas ‘The Same Love’ takes us on a Cool Runnings-esque carpet ride to south east Asia via Fleetwood Mac. They even lasso their all-encompassing random rope around the neck of Paul Simon for ‘knots’; Lord’s tenderly wooing his intended with poetic licence: “I wanna jump the fence with you/ I land on the thorn/ you land on the rose”.
As I mentioned earlier, there’s a thematic environmental and naturist message at the core of this conceptually loose LP. Tracks such as ‘We Rise, We Fall’ raise a theatrical lush, and dark seeping toned gesture to the fate, and “inevitable” decline of the planet: “We rise, we fall/ mammals and dinosaurs/ we rise, we fall/ churches and shopping malls”.
Unfortunately, Roberts & Lord tend to hammer at the production, with an overbearing heavy-handiness: if in doubt crank the mutha load up another warp factor. This modern obsession with merging white boy electro-pop with r’n’b, and lo-rider funk, is also starting to wear thin. The process by which this album has been created shows scant evidence of its disconnection, instead the material gels together quite seamlessly, if at times it can resort to saccharine and tweeness. However, ‘Eponymous’, has gradually sneaked it’s open-toed feet under my desk; comfortably plumping my cushions and making itself at home: you could say a certain fondness has grown between us.
Due: Now
[Rating:3.5]
