Album Review: Milosh - Jetlag

Milosh
Jetlash
Rating: Woof Daddy

Last year, Mike Milosh and Robin Hannibal released the stunning bedroom R&B album Woman under the name Rhye. Few people at the time knew that the evocative vocalist was male, his voice trailing in the upper registers with such command and force that confusion was likely. Woman was a success because Milosh's voice paired so well with Hannibal's lush, atmospheric backing tracks. A mere 8 months later, Milosh has released his solo record Jetlag, which trades the warm environs of Woman for chillier, electronic climes; it sounds like Kid A as recorded by Sade. What prevents the record from being an icy tableau is Milosh's gorgeous, inviting voice which adds intimacy and warmth to the delicate balance of stark electronics. Ostensibly a portrait of his relationship with his wife, actress Alexa Nikolas, and the highs and lows that accompany any giving up the single life, Jetlag, which was also named for the fact the record was recorded in many locations, is 10 tracks of impeccably produced electropop, and a good start to the new year.

Jetlag works best when it lets Milosh's voice do all the heavy lifting, allowing the music to ebb and flow in its minimalist fashion. Milosh's voice wraps around the stark piano chords of "Stakes Ain't High" like smoke coiling about outstretched fingers, while on "Hold Me" Milosh's voice actually gets heftier, dropping into lower registers as the clipped beats and intertwined analog synths push and pull against it, and on the delicate and fragile opening track "Do You Want What I Need," you can feel the ache and yearning in Milosh's voice as he draws out each syllable in his breathy coo as the whirring electronics sputter in the background.



This is not to say that the music is not the focus of the record or that it is merely background wallpaper. On first listen, of course, the music seems deceptively simple, yet further listens unfold the different layers going on. Milosh layers his vocals beautifully over the tense electronics on "Skipping,"



subtle programming underlies the twisting and twinkling keyboards of "Hear In You,"



but lets his voice stand prominent in the haunting piano ballad "Slow Down."



The only real quibbles I could find with the record are there are a few tracks that could have been shortened a bit, and the back half of the record is not as strong as the first half. But these issues aside, Jetlag is a beautifully produced and arranged set of tracks that perfectly highlights the enigmatic vocals of Milosh. It has been on constant repeat for me the last couple of weeks, and promises to be played even more.

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.