Leo Abrahams ‘Daylight’ Review (Lo Recordings): producer/guitarist fifth album is elegant and sleek electronica featuring contributions from Warpaint’s Stella Mozgawa and ambient music icon Brian Eno.
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Leo Abrahams isn’t a household name, but fans of alternative, ambient and electronic music have surely heard his work. the producer/guitarist has lent his touch to artists as varied as Pulp, Brian Eno, Jon Hopkins and Florence and The Machine among many.
But he’s stepping out front and center on his fifth solo effort Daylight (Lo Recordings) an intriguing and seductive mix of trip-hop, ambient bliss and post-rock.
While the album is a mostly electronic affair, there is an analogue heart, with Abraham’s guitar chops punctuating synthetic arrangements-joined by Warpaint drummer Stella Mozgawa’s hypnotic percussion.
Kicking off with skittering electronic percussion and stuttering synths and vocals, the title track is a kaleidoscope of sounds, both warm and abrasive, veering from ethereal passages to distorted metallic guitars.
Follow-up track Halo Effect mixes Asian melodies with a krautrock beat, equally at home on the dance floor or a sun-soaked drive.
Fans of trip-hop will migrate towards songs like the hypnotic, gurgling Into The Wild, which mixes airy arrangements with Abraham’s digitized vocals, as well as the cinematic and moody instrumental Mosaic.
Abrahams’ secret weapon is the use of unorthodox cut and paste tempos that feel alien on first listen, before capturing you fully under their gauzy spell.
Frequent collaborator Brian Eno graces Chain, with his sonorous vocals complimenting the song’s playful melody (utilizing children’s toys for extra texture) and world music ambience.
All in all, Daylight is a bewitching and mesmerizing album for the adventurous electronic music fan who appreciate arrangements that tickle the ear in odd fashion while still delivering rich melodic hooks.
You can order Daylight from Amazon or iTunes via the links below:
