Posted by Dan Shafer in 2011, Album Review | 0 Comments
Album Review: CANT “Dreams Come True”
mp3 – CANT – Answer
mp3 – CANT – Believe
CANT, despite being fundamentally ungoogleable, is a fascinating collaboration.
CANT is comprised of bassist/vocalist/multi-instrumentalist/producer Chris Taylor of Grizzly Bear and fellow Brooklynite Twin Shadow. This is not the first time the two have collaborated; Taylor produced Twin Shadow’s 2010 release “Forget” on his label Terrible Records.
2011 has been chock full of fascinating collaborations (see ”Fall Creek Boys Choir” and something about watching a throne) and it comes as no surprise that something would come from the side project farm that is Grizzly Bear.
Where CANT distinguishes itself is in the inventiveness involved in on the production end and the myriad of rhythms that challenge conventional song structure.
Dreams Come True is upbeat yet subdued and experimental without falling into the deep end. Much of the sound is derived from the mixing board, but they don’t fall into many of the same traps that plague many within the realm of indie electronica. Clocking in at under 40 minutes, the album doesn’t have the time or the space to get overly synthy or slip into droning, overlong mixing board noodling. A solid dose of piano throughout keeps the album grounded
The album’s standout track is “Answer.” Taylors vocals swim in and out of heavy reverb and a myriad of sounds scatter out on top of a tight, head-bobber of a backbeat that spans the four minutes and seven seconds of the track. The repeated lyrics, “It’s been awhile since I needed you/It’s been awhile since you needed me,” play the part of the chorus, drawing you in and out of the freakouts. If there’s anything to take with you from the album, it’s undoubtedly “Answer.”
The only setback on Dreams Come True (other than the American Idol contestant-ey title; is there still time to change it?) is the strict reliance on the abstract. Listening through, I got the sense that there might be something with a major, major hook somewhere in the mix, but it never quite arrived.
In a way, there’s shades of Radiohead mixed in throughout particularly in the Selway-esque drum beats. (perhaps “Answer” is a subtle nod to “Packt Like Sardines in a Crushd Tin Box?”) Let’s not get crazy, this isn’t the follow-up to In Rainbows that some folks wanted by any stretch of the imagination, but Dreams Come True is far from a throw-away side project that might leave you shuffling back toward Veckatimest or Yellow House.
Taylor’s progression is an artist is both welcome and commendable for someone who could simply play and sing on and produce excellent records with his hugely respected and successful band. Dreams Come True is a bold step in a new direction and I get the feeling there’s more to come.
Dreams Come True – Terrible Records in the US 9/12 and Warp in the UK 9/13
