Glider

This album literally came from a transatlantic meeting of the minds, since Glider consists of Montreal-based Pascal Asselin of Below the Sea and UK-based Gavin Baker of Billy Mahonie. Consisting of six new tunes, along with remixes of two earlier singles, Non-Spaces bristles with sparks of originality, but in the end doesn’t seem to leave a lasting impression. The first track, "L’Puissance de l’Eau,” whets the appetite for the rest of the album, as the interplay between the two crackles with energy, but seems to end just as great things appear. This occurs again in "A Brush with Summer” as this one-minute song, if fleshed out, could have been more than just a "brush.” The one track with vocals, "The Day” brushes Slint territory a little too close to comfort, while "Hey Bubba” drones with the best of them, even mixing it up with some acoustic elements, and comes close to reaching that ever-elusive epiphany, but is more pleasant than eye-opening. The remixes stand out for their electronic elements, which don’t seem apparent on the original tracks, which really take the listener out of the sounds established earlier. Well worth a listen for fans of low-key ambient post-rock, but nothing here that allows Glider to soar above the rest.