When Animals Stare

世界を熱狂の渦に巻き込んだ2008年のデビュー・アルバムから3年ぶり、待望のセカンド・アルバム！他のエレクトロ・ミュージックとは一線を画す、ハウス～ロック、そしてポップ・フィールドにも通用する唯一無二のサウンドはこのセカンドでも健在。エレクトリックでありながら、フォーキーでソウルフルなサウンドは彼ならではのオリジナリティ！

With 2008's self-titled debut featuring an appearance from Damon Albarn and a future contribution to the Twilight soundtrack, British electro duo Theo Keating (Wiseguys) and Simon Lord (Simian), aka the Black Ghosts, appeared poised to overshadow the success of their respective former outfits. But the anticipated commercial breakthrough never happened and the duo spent the subsequent three years releasing material separately under various guises including remixer/DJ Fake Blood and electro-soul vocalist Lord Skywave. Fortunately, Keating and Lord haven't allowed their lack of chart success to hinder their collaborative spirit, as their second album, When Animals Stare, is an even more impressive affair, seamlessly blending ambient electronica with Lord's melancholic vocals and a genre-hopping sensibility to match that of their previous guest star's Gorillaz. "Water Will Find a Way" fuses rumbling horns with twinkling glockenspiels, doom-laden beats, and an orchestral breakdown that sounds like it's been lifted from a Gene Kelly musical, "Talk No More" is a self-deprecating slice of scuzzy garage rock featuring a jagged dirty bassline and Jack White-esque howls, while there are convincing forays into chillout territory with the skittering beats and ethereal synths of "In the Clouds," brooding dubstep on the atmospheric "Sanguinella," and even reggae on the authentic riddims and dubby hooks of "Is That All." The meandering warped-bass space rock of "Aurora Borealis" and the "folktronica" of "Forgetfulness," which owes more than a nod to Miike Snow's "Animal," suggest the pair ran out of ideas toward the end, but on the whole, When Animals Stare is a surprisingly understated follow-up whose inventive production ensures that it very rarely drifts into pure background music fodder. ~ Jon O'Brien|

エレクトロ・ブームに乗って成功を収めた前作から早3年、ようやく2作目が出ました。ビートでガンガン押すというより、メロディー感とかポップセンスで引っ張るスタイルは今回より顕著に。歌を活かしたアレンジの妙は、末永く聴くに耐えうる効果を生み出している。“Walking On TheMoon"や“Water Will FindAway"といった曲を聴くと新たなステージに上がった感もアリ。キャッチーなだけじゃないぞと。
bounce (C)池田謙司