Rating:
Genre:
Rock
Release Date: 06/10/2008
Gazelle is something of a
Parasol Records supergroup, bringing together singer
Adam Fein (late of the dream pop outfit
Absinthe Blind) and multi-instrumentalist
Jeff Dimpsey (
Poster Children,
Hum,
National Skyline, etc.) for a low-key set of melancholic indie electronica à la the
Postal Service. Unfortunately, that description is so on the nose that there's little else to say about
Sunblown: the ten tracks blend heavily processed guitars, brisk electronic beats, and various keyboards (both electric and acoustic) into atmospheric minor-key settings for
Fein's delicate, breathy vocals and impressionistic lyrics, and those who like that sort of thing will find plenty to enjoy here. The seven-minute
"Lineal" is the centerpiece track, a multi-part epic that fades out to over a minute's worth of unadorned electronic drone, but the best track is the dreamy
"Phasedown," a shimmering, beatless meditation that features a gorgeous vocal part by
Headlights singer
Erin Fein (
Adam's sister and a fellow former
Absinthe Blind member) and the album's most inventive and textured production. There's nothing at all wrong with
Sunblown, a post-rock shoegazing mood piece perfect for a drowsy windows-open summer evening where the crickets and cicadas can blend in with the buzzing and murmuring hum, but those expecting more than serene atmosphere may find it a bit wanting.
~Stewart Mason, All Music Guide