Ellis Island Sound - 'Ellis Island Sound' (Heavenly)
3/5
By: Toby L
With doses of electronica-tinged instrumentation varying from one track to the other, the genius of Ellis Island Sound is not so much creating an immediately identifiable, easy-to-pinpoint sound - so much as it is to celebrate the coming together of all genres under the sun, and to form a musical-niche so wildly eclectic that you believe they're capable of next to anything...
Admittedly, though, you're either gonna lap this up or use it as a Frisbee, wholly dependent on your view of artists that choose to experiment with various layers and textures of rhythmic stylings over producing coherent, conventional 'songs'. As it happens, however, the 'Island Sound do often go for that crossover touch, including on this collection of work taken from their past four years in music their renditions of Regular Fries' 'Cyanide' and the Manics' 'Ocean Spray'.
Fundamentally, it's pure easy-listening; there's none of the cold, often haunting Aphex Twin-esque beats-all-over-the-place, riotous combinations, but instead a myriad of charming bongos, soothing synths and a bright-eyed and positive outlook on keyboards and recording-techniques... Summery without effort, it's most likely a record to spin when you've just had one of those days and fancy unwinding in gentle style.
With enough charm and warm instrumentation to provide a worthy rival of Zero 7, Ellis Island Sound offer the sophisticated and sumptuous answer to forgettable club-anthems from small islands in Europe. Thank goodness.
Artists in this article: Ellis Island Sound
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