We had the opportunity to get an early listen to Komraus' new album Untie the Ropes! Komraus is a London-based trio that is on the rise, particularly in the electronic scene! The album is due to drop on February 15, 2019! Special thanks to M.A.R.S. Worldwide Music!
Komraus - Untie the Ropes
1. Some Minutes - We are ushered in with deliberate almost jazz-esque vocal stylings, that glide above the low-key established melody. This is clear, the melody here is here to highlight vocals and it's doing just that. The drum line is also fantastic.
2. Gas - This track is a slow burner that melodically reminds of something from The Deftones, but slightly less industrial. The vocals that dance over the melody move like smoke in their delicacy. A carefully crafted track that begs to be listened to.
3. Love Overdose - Another slow burner in which a piano melody playfully guides the listener along as vocals take center stage. There is something almost jazz-like to this track.
4. Untie The Ropes - We get another track with depth filled melody and bold vocals, this is Komraus' style and we dig it. It could be easy to get lost in the melody here, but vocalist Sara Rioja and the band are always sure to provide engaging nuance to the sound and vocals that keep the listener on the line eager for more.
5. If I Am Dreaming - We absolutely loved the bass line that is so prevalent throughout this track. The percussion in this track is pretty minimal to highlight the absolutely killer vocals that are present throughout.
6. What We Were Once - Percussion and synth work together in harmony here to build a harmonious rhythm. Rioja starts in a higher register vocally, but comes down to show great range. There is an interesting spoken word portion of the track that when accompanied by the backing track makes for a cinematic 80's apocalyptic feel to it. My brain basically melted here with this part as I had thoughts of Terminator 2 where the T-1000 crushes skulls under it's foot. That might just be me, but it was awesome.
7. Just Say My Name - The backing melody is great at building the mood here, which is true of all the tracks on this album. This one is just so subtle into the power synth breaks in half-way through the track. The percussion also is doing a lot here to build the ambiance of the track. The synth work reminded me a bit of The Cure.
8. The Road - Vocals here have a classical feel to them, almost a callback to lounge singing. The pronounced bass line and cymbal usage here also had a throwback feel to it.
9. Stolen Fate - The most "rock" sounding song of the album, at least initially. Loved the daring choice of the vocal effects usage, it totally worked.
10. Flying High - This track seemed to be building and building (which it did a fantastic job of) and when the payoff came, I think it could have been more pronounced.
Overall Thoughts - Subtlety is the key to this album. The rhythms build in slow waves that create an atmosphere that envelopes the listener. This allows the vocals of Rioja to pierce through shine in each track. I wish there would have been a little more variance with some of the melody, but that is okay. Overall this was a strong album. Many artists try to build an ambiance and an environment through melody and percussion. Few do it as well as Komraus does.
Rating - 3.75/5