Nicholas Krgovich's The Hills is interesting, but flawed. With a press release stating the album contains elements of "cinematic orchestral blooms, moody piano, deliciously '90s hip-hop beats, film noir jazz, and lateness of the hour R&B," it's no surprise that Krgovich loses his way at times, as what could be a great release is left feeling overcrowded and overly ambitious.
The Hills feels more like a combination of songs than an album proper; there's no sense of any connection between the songs, leaving it feeling like a mixtape. And yet, there are plenty of successes to report: "The Hills I" and "Sunset Tower" flow together nicely as sparse, electronic songs encourage introspection, while standout "Backlot Detail" features haunting strings and vocals interwoven beautifully to create a stirring sense of heartbreak.
His arrangements on tracks like "Backlot Detail," "Rock's Detail," "PCH Detail" and "Moon's Detail" are stunning, but the rest of the record feels poorly thought out. There are peaks here, but there are too many instances of filler in the rest of the record that suggest Krgovich simply tried too much on The Hills in order to see what stuck. He's obviously extremely talented, and even more ambitious, but narrowing his scope would allow Krgovich to create something truly great, rather than diluting his talent.
(Crystal Math)The Hills feels more like a combination of songs than an album proper; there's no sense of any connection between the songs, leaving it feeling like a mixtape. And yet, there are plenty of successes to report: "The Hills I" and "Sunset Tower" flow together nicely as sparse, electronic songs encourage introspection, while standout "Backlot Detail" features haunting strings and vocals interwoven beautifully to create a stirring sense of heartbreak.
His arrangements on tracks like "Backlot Detail," "Rock's Detail," "PCH Detail" and "Moon's Detail" are stunning, but the rest of the record feels poorly thought out. There are peaks here, but there are too many instances of filler in the rest of the record that suggest Krgovich simply tried too much on The Hills in order to see what stuck. He's obviously extremely talented, and even more ambitious, but narrowing his scope would allow Krgovich to create something truly great, rather than diluting his talent.
