Nobody

Sitting alongside favourite melodic beat-makers like the Postal Service, Manitoba and Dntel, Elvin Estella (aka Nobody to the music industry) knows all of the right buttons to push. His music has been labelled "shoegazer hip-hop” in the past, but Nobody doesn’t deserve such lazy pigeonholing. Pacific Drift: Western Water Music Vol. 1 follows up his much lauded debut album, Soulmates, with a move towards sun-dried psychedelia in the vein of ’60s artists like Love, the Byrds and the Electric Prunes. Continuing his interest in collaborating with other musicians, Nobody’s guests include Chris Gunst and Dave Scher (Beachwood Sparks), Ikey Owens (the Mars Volta), Languis and Jimmy Tamborello (Dntel, Figurine and the Postal Service). Cueing plush samples, warm vintage organs and some heavy reverb, the timeless sound achieved is updated with a series of hip-hop beats and cinematic backdrops. The vocal tracks outweigh the instrumentals, giving a much-needed boost of character to Estella’s creation. Gunst’s "Porpoise Song” (originally done by the Monkees) proves this nicely, cooing acidic country over a trip-hop milieu, while Paul Larson’s vocal take on the Zombies’ classic "This Will Be Our Year” is handled nicely by some quirky beats and deep strings. A fresh take on some old favourites, Nobody’s Pacific Drift is a magical listen that never loses its lustre.