Monday, May 5, 2014

Ava Luna - Electric Balloon


Three years ago, a band called Twin Sister released In Heaven, an album whose minimalist approach to texture as a primary component won me over in a big way. It was fun, addictive, and perfectly orchestrated. The band emphasized the elements that should have been front-and-center and reduced all of the clutter that is typical of many pop albums.

Last year, I got into Talking Heads like someone hearing guitar-driven music for the first time. Their punk jubilance is unmet by any other band I've heard.

This year has been pretty lame overall. A few good albums here and there, but nothing that stayed on repeat for days on end.

These three elements have created the perfect storm that is my infatuation with Electric Balloon by Ava Luna. This album is whimsical, minimal, textured, and balanced by an awesome "couldn't care less" attitude.

It opens up with a Talking Heads-esque guitar riff, backup vocalists reminiscent of Dirty Projectors, and a saxophone solo straight out of a James Chance and the Contortions song that absolutely slays. And that's all in the first track. Every track is an amalgam of influences, but it never feels cluttered. Ava Luna are masters of balance, and err on the side of minimalism. Their approach is very similar to that of Twin Sister, where the best textures of a song are only played once or twice and then it's on to the next awesome detail. The listener is always left wanting more, but always presented with more things to love about what they're hearing.

In addition to their instrumentation, the male and female singers are also excellent. They are whooping and hollering one moment and beautifully harmonizing the next. The album is rocking along, everyone's having a great time, and then the song "PRPL" begins. The female singer on this track is jaw-dropping. Her voice is silky, the guitars are merely echoes of themselves, and then the backup vocals come in, and suddenly Electric Balloon is your new favorite album.

Definitely check this album out if you like Talking Heads, Dirty Projectors, or great music in general.


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