Rock music’s recent push back into the underground has highlighted some of the more abstract sides of the genre; creating a new world of experimentation and exploration.
That said, Amour Glamour’s debut LP, “Dramatic Cinematic,” is a sign of the times. Almost.
“Dramatic Cinematic” is an exploratory collection of washed-out lo-fi tracks which are at times well-written and moving, but the atmosphere of the album relies on an ambience that hasn’t quite hit its mark yet.
The influences on the record are clear. Aspects of the neo-psychedelic music of recent years converges with the jazz-oriented retro rock of artists like King Krule on tracks such as the opening “Sugie’s Dreamin” and “What’s up Moon”.
However, this album exhibits its potential by showcasing music major Shane Malins’ (the sole artist behind Amour Glamour) interesting songwriting ability. However, the listener deserves more of it in the form of cleaner, more coherent production and overall tone.
If there is another album in store for Amour Glamour, perhaps the focus should be on mixing and mastering, especially the percussion, and more dynamic vocal dexterity.
But, in a previous Clarion story, (Music major records solo album ‘Dramatic Cinematic’) Malins said he recorded this album by himself, learning pro-tools from YouTube tutorials, so the low production quality is somewhat justifiable.
Throughout the album, sound clips of old movies and television shows are used as transitional pieces between tracks. This works well in congruence with the album title, and it is a nice touch which helps move the tracks further.
Still, the production needs the extra dash of energy to make any sonic impact on the listener. The dream-like ambience is what this album wants to capture, and it is almost there, but something is missing from this particular attempt.
“Dramatic Cinematic” is an interesting record for its mixture of sub-genres and moods with a vintage flare. The songs are mostly well-written and pleasant to listen to, and it is clear that Amour Glamour is heading in a good direction.
However, there is still a small void between its sounds on this record and the active listener. Because of this, a sophomore release by Amour Glamour should stand out as a means to prove the band’s musical capability and improve cohesiveness to make it a powerful production.
The potential is there, and it will be exciting to hear what comes next.
