keepers 4
keeper avg .364
Ignoring all the talk of dark themes and mental illness, I choose to discuss the energy of the music on Michael Angelakos' sophomore effort and its appeal to me. The opening big single "Take a Walk"**** is a stomping-good time though without listening closely it brings images of power-walkers to mind. "Cry Like A Ghost"***** (the one mentioning Sylvia, she's a pendulum a lot) has a very similar feel and seems to do its job better, or at least it feels less silly to sing along. "On My Way"**** follows with a stately chorus that smartly waits until halfway through to unleash all the backing tracks. "I'll Be Alright" doesn't lack energy or hooks, merely the good sense when to pull back, as ridiculously busy percussion battles computer-created chipmunk ooh-aah's several times in the song. "Carried Away" is merely generic electronic disco, and "Constant Conversation" is like cartoon-y 90's R&B. It's probably the pop-rocker in me that prefers songs with a reasonable, non-amphetamine driven tempo such as groovy "Love Is Greed"****, rather than songs like "Mirrored Sea", which charges ahead with an energy only possible with a computer-generated band, and "Hideaway", which has more of a Go Go's classic 80's pop tone though I think the BPM is identical. Though not perfect, except for one misstep on the indifferent "Carried Away", Gossamer is well-written and well-produced good stuff.
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