Jimmy Tamborello was once part of Strictly Ballroom,
a band that became noticed because of the way they used
to integrate the sound of Brian Eno with hardcore. After
releasing a single album, the three band members went
their separate ways. Tamborello joined electro-pop trio
Figurine. During all these years, he kept his Dntel
project to himself, writing and recording with friends.
Now, Los Angeles label Plug Research is finally releasing
his first solo album.
For Life Is Full Of Possibilities, Tamborello
has invited a handful of talented artists and friends
to bring their vision to the project, including co-ex
Strictly Ballroom Chris Ganst, who provides vocals on
Umbrella, and Paul Larson, on guitar duties
on Last Songs, while current Figurine co-member
Meredith Figurine performs on Suddenly Is Sooner
Than You Think, Rachel Heden enlightens Why
I’m So Unhappy, and the haunting voice of Mai Doi
Todd transfixes Anywhere Anyone. Of these reluctant
pop songs, torn between sensitive electronica and dysfunctional
acoustic, Tamborello and his guests extract the soul
of unconventional folk music, neglecting traditional
beat patterns to rely on more subtle rhythmic structures
instead. Life Is Full Of Possibilities explores
amazingly complex musical grounds, where minimalist
sonic forms force the most intimate respiration to the
forefront of the soudscape. Tamborello’s delicate musical
constructions are the prefect backdrop for the melancholic
vocals, and create a uniquely atmospheric work. Even
when songs display a more upbeat mood, as on Umbrella
or the superb (This Is) The Dream Of Evan Chan,
which slowly builds up from the ashes of Fireworks
into a cloud of fuzz guitars and electronics, melodies
remain touching. In between these highly emotional moments,
the man inserts some equally well-constructed instrumentals,
in which he dissects found sounds and acoustic noises
to isolate the purest elements, organise them, only
to process them all over again. Each one of the ten
tracks forming Life Is Full Of Possibilities
has been assembled patiently, as Tamborello, either
on his own or with his momentary collaborators, has
vowed to bring his compositions to life.
For a first solo album, Life Is Full Of Possibilities
displays a mind-blowing maturity, not only in the compositions,
but also in the production. The tracks are all incredibly
strong, and Tamborello has surrounded himself with people
close to his musical universe.
5/5 |
