Evenfall

South Londoner Sam Akpro self-issued a handful of EPs before he was signed by ANTI- Records; the label urged him to record his debut full-length. His music is equally inspired by bleary nights out in the restless city as well as the wide variety of musical genres hes absorbed through online exposure, often from skating videos. While its hard to pin down his sound, it often consists of thick, dubby basslines and moody, atmospheric guitars accompanying softly stated vocals expressing confusion and frustration. The hazy narrative of opener "I Cant See the Sun" is splashed with hallucinatory echoes and dusky saxophone. "Death by Entertainment" has a driving post-punk rhythm and noisier guitars, while the feverish lyrics reflect burnout from overstimulation. The gorgeous title track has more of a shoegazey sway, cloaking a brief verse about uncertainty and disbelief. "Tunnel Vision" and "Cherry" both have faster rhythms, but like the rest of the album, they seem to convey a sense of rushing and moving in slow motion at the same time, as the pace of life is simultaneously hectic yet numbing. "City Sleeps" has more of a downtempo noir groove with lush, rippling textures and cinematic tension. "Cornering Lights" is a more reserved comedown anticipating a cab ride home at the break of dawn. Akpro sounds like hes still finding himself, but his first album is an evocative mixture of nocturnal city scenes and youthful expression, and theres no telling where hell go from here. ~ Paul Simpson