Search - Eluvium :: Similes

Eluvium - Similes

Andrew Vice | Plano, TX | 02/27/2010

(5 out of 5 stars)

"When I read that Matthew Cooper had decided to incorporate vocals and percussion into his signature ambient sound, I was more than a little worried. How was he going to pair his sweeping string arrangements with some kind of pop vocal aesthetic? Well the good news is that he didn't try. Though Cooper is definitely singing words and telling stories, his voice operates within the mix more than it does on top of it. Though it can't be considered just another instrument a la Loveless, his voice does bridge the gap between vocals and instrumentation, and fortunately, it really works for this new set of songs. I was pretty much sold on the record by the time the first track was all said and done. I think everything that is great about the record is summed up in those five minutes. Subtle but effective percussion, the deep, impassioned baritone of Cooper, and the musical style that we've all come to know and love from him. This is an excellent successor to 2007's luscious Copia, and it really is nice to see an ambient musician stepping outside of his comfort zone, and not only trying something new, but succeeding at it. This is a record that should not be missed by fans of Eluvium."