Kalabrese

It's been six years since Kalabrese (aka Sacha Winkler) dropped his debut album, Rumpelzirkus. His second LP, Independent Dancer, plays out like an impromptu LCD Soundsystem album — epic-length tracks run on a simple looped beat with a bit of synth exploration while the overlaid vocals move from monotone musings to clamouring expression before falling right back. Independent Dancer sounds like LCD Soundsystem if James Murphy toned everything down, turned off the amps and decided to take no chances. (Kalabrese opened for Murphy on a 2012 tour, which would explain the influence.) Independent Dancer doesn't contain many highs or lows — no real builds or drops; it consists of six- to ten-minute tracks that plateau early then stay the course. While the album does play with a ton of styles — bossanova, jazz, funk, swing — adding a smattering of brass here and there, each genre touched upon is never expanded beyond skeletal basics, and depth and richness are lacking. Those amps need to be turned back on to grab our attention.