I’m absolutely in love with Splashdown’s vocalist, Melissa Kaplan. The music meshing with her voice is a perfect construct throughout this EP. Redshift is here to tease you until the full-length album, Blueshift, comes out, due early next year. I was very impressed with the band’s over-dynamic and balance. To place Splashdown in a genre of music is a little difficult, but let’s call it melodic/electronic/pop, similar to UK’s trip-hop group Morcheeba.
If they don’t put “Charming Spell” on Blueshift, they will be making a huge mistake! Ms. Kaplan’s voice is compelling; it reaches the level of a Bjork high note with the flow of Skye Edwards (Morcheeba). The balance has much to do the musical genius of Adam Buhler (guitar, bass) and Kasson Crooker (keys, generator of beats). Buhler gives the band a bit an of edgy aggressive guitar sound, while Crooker agitates clever dance beats or lushly laid back melodies. And what can I say about Melissa’s lyrics? They stick like glue, from “Be sincere with persuasion” to the multiple looping of “Tie a knife with a ribbon, with a red, red, ribbon/ Raise a hand-held mirror to the light of the moon.” Sweet.
“The Archer” isn’t quite pop, but the voice, Indian sitars, and keyboards are the right ingredients for a pure hit. Kaplan’s singing seems to either create the groove of the song or she follows it around by changing from high to low on each verse. Another of those catchy lyrics comes at the drop of the needle, “Time kicked me off of her island/ Motion’s been keeping me streamlined/ Which direction will you point your arrow?/ Mercy is bad for the vision, ruthless will clear it away.” In “The Archer”, you’ll find a sample from “Sequel”, courtesy of the ever so talented Medesky, Martin, and Wood.
Each track on the EP shows the diversity of influences the band showcases, especially the funk busting “Mayan Pilot”. “Waterbead” is a production all in itself. You hear various elements of trance, rock-n-roll, techno dance beats, and speedy live drumming throughout the brilliant five minute and forty second conception. I have to put Kaplan on a pedestal; she finds a new way to make her voice sound totally unique with every song. She creates an Indian twang that fluidly swims across the big beats of the live drums and the techno beat.
The operatic “Ironspy” platforms the darker, evil sound of the band that can be compared to the likes of Portishead. These are stellar tunes for only being an EP. I think the new album will dazzle audiences. Solid effort.
+larry sarzyniak
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