Nedry

In a Dim Light

BY Daniel SylvesterPublished Mar 12, 2012

When Condors, the 2009 debut from London, UK post-trip-hoppers Nedry, was released, almost all of the album's press mentioned the band's similarities to artists like Björk, the Knife and Portishead. Which would be fine, had journalists also talked about the subject at hand: Nedry. In a Dim Light, the trio's follow-up, gives some additional insight into why it remains hard to punch out an original sentence about this group. Sounding less organic than trip-hop's first-wave, "Havana Nights" and "Land Leviathan" work off gorgeous beats that rely on a digitized kick drum. But it's Ayu Okakita's vocals that remain In a Dim Light's greatest asset and biggest offender. Delivered in a moan-y, gothic-tinged wisp, Okakita uses dynamics and over-the-top melodies to inject personality into "Violaceae" and "TMA," but mostly, she relies on muddy, melody-less, go-nowhere verses to fill the majority of the album. In a Dim Light turns out to be a frustrating listen; it's an adventurous outing by a band that plainly need to sharpen their craft.
(Monotreme)

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