Gazelle: Sunblown (Hidden Agenda)
release: June 10, 2008
style: indie electronic
[rating: **1/2] The members of 1990s blistering rock band Hum have kept busy with several projects in the last decade that branch off from that successful group. Gazelle--Jeff Dimpsey (Hum, National Skyline) and Adam Fein (Absinthe Blind)--continues the quieter avenues explored by the Skyline. Dimpsey's production and mixing has become serene. Fein's vocals are the reserved, hushy kind that require more emotion than he's providing. The seven-minute "Lineal" is when he sounds most cozy while Dimpsey makes room for piano, studio trickery and sputtery beats. "Phasedown" is all about the power of ambient sound and with a name like "Phasedown" it should be expected. For the last track, the two really pull things together vocally and musically and we're left wondering why they didn't do more of this. -Kenyon