Album Review - Chromatics: Kill For Love

Chromatics
Kill For Love
Rating: Grrrr

Portland, Oregon's Chromatics, made up of singer Ruth Radelet, guitarist Adam Miller, drummer Nat Walker, and producer/multi-instrumentalist Johnny Jewel, occupy some netherworld between Italo-disco and M83's polished analog/shoegaze pop. Indeed, there are many correlations between Kill For Love and M83's opus Hurry Up, We're Dreaming; both are double albums, both utilize older, analog equipment, and both have an epic quality to them. The sound is slightly different, however, instead of reaching for the stadium-ready grandeur of M83, Chromatics are far more interested in a more delicate, personal quality. It's as if these songs are meant to be heard on lonely drives at night, or under the covers with a thick pair of headphones on. Another bizarre comparison I experienced while listening to Kill For Love is with This Mortal Coil's Filigree & Shadow, which seems similarly structured with key songs surrounded by odd/entrancing instrumentals, and a penchant for intriguing cover songs, and an overall goth-pop vibe. Kill For Love starts off with a skeletal cover of Neil Young's My My, Hey Hey (Out of the Blue)," here re-titled "Into the Black." Radelet's almost emotionless delivery brings heft and weight to the song's missive that it is "better to burn out than it is to rust." The cover sets the tone for the record, revealing that it will be a flawlessly produced album of well crafted tracks. Immediately launching into title track and first single, "Kill For Love" is the "Midnight City" of the record, an effortlessly shimmering pop gem that begs to be on trajectory for the top of the charts, the keyboards and guitars joining forces in a gorgeous swoon.



Over 90 minutes, the album will further overtake you with wonderful, perfect pop songs. Their almost too sweet melodies and hooks are tempered by the inclusion of more thoughtful instrumental pieces, that at first appear almost too abstract and difficult, to the point where they feel like they are taking focus away from the record. But once you get in the flow of the album, you understand their purpose and place. They almost serve as palate cleansers between the cotton ear candy at the heart of Kill For Love. This is not to imply that the more traditional songs on the album are in any way fluff or empty calories, just that the there is such a rush of great songwriting it can feel like a sugar high. In fact the first 6 tracks are practically a recipe for how to pace an album correctly. From the echo-dripping guitars and pulse of "Back From The Grave," to the new wave guitars and swagger of "The Page," through the shimmering keyboard washes and disco synthpop of "Lady," culminating in the 8 minute slow build of "The Streets Will Never Look The Same,"



these tracks practically wear you out. It's at this almost breaking point where Chromatics wisely slow things down and let you catch your breath with the haunting, fractured ambient drones of "Broken Mirrors,"



then begin the slow rise again, with the smoldering goth-pop of "Candy."



The back end of the record is more instrumental heavy, with the string synth chorale and watery keyboards of "The Eleventh Hour," the post punk guitars and synths of "Dust to Dust," and the closing ambient epic, the 14 minute "No Escape," that recalls the best work of Eno. These piece allow your brain and ears to rest until the next batch of gorgeous pop songs emerge, like the vocoder vocals of "Running From The Sun," which initially borrows the piano melody from Cyndi Lauper's "Time After Time," before ending in a 10cc-esque coda; the dark dream pop of "A Matter of Time;"



lush synthpop of "At Your Door;"



or the haunting melodrama of closing ballad "The River."



Kill For Love is not an album that immediately captures you. Its 17 tracks are leisurely and towards the end of the record the surfeit of lengthy instrumentals can be wearying, however, patience in the end will make these shortcomings worth it. Kill For Love is another album that is jockeying for best of 2012 honors; and it is among some stellar company.

Rating Scale:

Chilfos: masterpiece; coolest thing I've heard in ages.

Woof Daddy: excellent; just a hair away from being a masterpiece.

Grrrr: very good; will definitely be considered for my top releases of the year.

Yeah Daddy Make Me Want It: good; definitely invites further listens and piques one's interest for more material.

Meh: not horrible, but certainly not great; could have either been polished, trimmed, or re-thought.

Jeez Lady: what the hell happened? Just plain bad. They should hang their heads in shame and be forced to listen to Lady Gaga ad nauseam as penance.

Tragicistani: so bad, armed villagers with pitchforks and torches should run the artist out of the country for inflicting this abomination on the human race.