Deep Blue View

Jim Noirs 2010 album A.M. Jazz charted a new musical course for the longtime singer/songwriter/producer. On it, he set aside the junkshop pop of previous releases in favor of a sound that nods (in a couple senses of the word) in the direction of gently relaxing sounds most often found in hipper elevators. He added some mild chillwave and techno sounds to the mix, too, and in the process made something that stood out from the albums hed previously released, with string sounds, quietly clopping percussion, enveloping vocal harmonies, and softly drifting melodies. Deep Blue View takes the exploration a little deeper into pillowy calmness. Constructed from sounds and ideas cast aside while making A.M. Jazz, the EP mostly forgoes electronics in favor of a lushly romantic sound made up of soaring banks of fake strings, resonant pianos, the occasional Theremin, and lots of stringed instruments that sound on loan from a very landlocked Beach Boys session. Noir has the skills to make it sound entrancing instead of dozy, even when the songs stretch out past the five-minute mark. The opening title track gets the template in place right away as the strings swell around Noirs quietly searching vocals like a ghostly hug. It sounds a little like High Llamas, minus their need to fill every nook and cranny with a banjo riff. Noir is working for a place of serenity throughout and its a mood that is hard to keep going without sending the listener off to dreamland. He does it through the subtle use of dynamics throughout, bringing up and then dropping instruments in the mix as masterfully as a Baroque King Tubby. Its not as captivating as A.M. Jazz is overall, but its a fine companion piece and shows Noir maturing both as a composer and a producer. ~ Tim Sendra