Print Edition: July 16, 2014
Luluc
Passerby
This is the kind of album you settle into; play it beginning to end on a long bus ride, a slow evening, or that rare morning when you get a chance to sit out on the patio with a steaming cup of tea. The lyrics throughout Passerby dance between contemplative simplicity (“Fields of grass waiting for the sun and the spring, what it can bring — winter is passing” in the track “Winter is Passing”) and innocent whimsy (“Dazzling colours fill the page — who could guess you are your age? All the rooms are out of place. There’s me without a face” in “Without a Face”). In many of the tracks a lyrical line will seem to trail off, as if there is something unsaid behind it; you expect a line to follow, but instead the thought settles into the instrumentals. My favourite tracks were “Without a Face,” “Reverie on Norfolk Street,” “Gold on the Leaves,” and the final track, “Star.” The album ends on a kind of serene tension, still waiting for the stars to send an answer down. Passerby is calm and lyrical, perfect for those soft, sweet summer moments.
KATIE STOBBART
Ejecta
Dominae
Ejecta, the little-known side project of Leanne Macomber, is a haunting synth heaven band now with an album entitled Dominae. Macomber, who’s taking a slight step away from her headlining ensemble, Neon Indian, is found here teaming up with producer Joel Ford for 37 minutes of tracks ranging from a pure ‘80s core to others that are reminiscent at times of both Niki & the Dove and Chairlift. This album is a continuation of Macomber’s earlier ethereal sound found while a member of Fight Bite. But what really makes this album stand out—and it is absolutely sublime—is its lack of pretention in addressing the well-worn topic of love. Each of the 10 ghostly tracks is guided by Macomber’s quaint possession of subtlety, which when mixed with the synth and drum machine, crafts a calm collection. All songs follow a steady line, never meandering through many high or low notes. Yet they all have their own individuality. Perhaps “Afraid of the Dark” is the most classic track, standing above the others in progression and emotion, where midway it lets some of the subtlety drop for a greater infusion of synthpop. There is also “Silver,” a song that crescendos and crystallizes in pure electronic bliss. At the end, Dominae is nothing but infection.
JOE JOHNSON
