In the land of obscurity it is said that there are many treasures to be found and in the land of bedsit electronica it is said that there are gems just waiting to be unearthed. Whilst not highly polished, “Olive Skinned, Silver Tongued Siren Sings Swan Songs” by the curiously named REW<< does indeed sparkle more than somewhat.
This is something of a headphone album in that it seems crude and confused when removed from the intimacy enforced by such devices. That may, of course, be by design for although many of the songs attempt to scale the mountain there is little in the way of musical bravado on show here. The vocals are always understated, deliberately repetitious and often lost in the confusion of conflicting reverb as if echoing down a hallway in some derelict building while the melodies, for there are such things, are relegated to being beacons forever lighting the path to the end of the emotional tunnel.
The most notable thing about this album is how well it flows and how quickly the songs, merging together as if designed to be part of a greater purpose, pass from the digital domain to the windmills of your mind. His light is always on.