Realms

ジョージア州アセンズから、全米、果ては宇宙までも飛び出したエキセントリックでコミカルなサイファイ・ニュー・ウェーヴ・パーティ・バンドB-52'SのCINDY WILSON。2017年『CHANGE』以来、6年ぶりとなるセカンド・ソロ・アルバム『REALMS』をKILL ROCK STARSよりCDリリース!

前作に引き続きSUNY LYONS(ドラムはSTERLING CAMPBELL、ストリングスはMARIA KINDT)と共に制作されたアルバムで、これまでで最も野心的な作品に仕上がっています。

As the B-52s entered the home stretch of their farewell tour, Cindy Wilson released Realms, an album that bridged her years with the legendary band and the musical world she created on her debut solo album, Change. The dreamy space-age pop she delivered on Change clearly delineated her as a solo artist, revealing more colors to her voice and music than even the most dedicated B-52s fans might have imagined. On Realms, she adds a little more of her former band’s joie de vivre to the mix without straining to recreate their inimitable chemistry. This union of then and now is most apparent in Wilson’s vocals. Instead of the whispery delivery that made Change such a departure from what she’d done before, her bright, full-throated singing on “Midnight”’s opening invitation to party recalls the soaring bliss of “Roam,” “Deadbeat Club,” and other B-52s favorites. On the like-minded “Daydreamer,” she’s a creature of the night with a voice like a sunbeam. Working once again with Change producer Suny Lyons and with B-52s touring drummer Sterling Campbell, Wilson presents a more vibrant version of the 80s-influenced synth pop she explored on Change and her early EPs. “Overboard”’s squiggly electronics call to mind Gary Numan and Devo; “Blossom”’s softly sleek arpeggios evoke New Order; and the grinding electro-pop of “Delirious” rivals Goldfrapp when it comes to glamorously mellow dancefloor grooves. Wilson tempers Realms’ festive mood with gorgeous reveries that build on Change’s ethereal moments. She borrows some of dub’s spacious bounce for the lilting “Wait,” while the streaking synths that back her on “Within” serve as a reminder of her fondness for Broadcast (whom she covered on her 2016 EP, Sunrise). When she touches on dream pop, it makes for some of the album’s most sparkling highlights. “Hold On”’s zero-gravity romance rivals Beach House and the work of Julee Cruise, who stepped in for Wilson when she took maternity leave from the band’s touring duties in the 90s. As she sings "No one can follow you to places unknown" on the gauzy finale, “Not Goodbye,” she captures the bittersweet blurring of endings and beginnings. With its seamless blend of buoyant and introspective moods -- and past and present -- Realms is a graceful portrait of a turning point in Wilson’s life and an impressive addition to her work as a solo artist. ~ Heather Phares