I was instantly smitten with the song “Oblivion” despite its close approximation to Tiffany’s version of “I Think We’re Alone Now.” NOTE: I made this assertion before NPR Music, but that isn’t really a big deal since it’s so obvious) In fact, Grimes, aka Claire Boucher – the Canadian musician and visual artist finds melodic muscle in 80’s pop-ster kitsch that’s bathed in her own brand of ethereal gloom on the latest album, Visions. It almost sounds like Lisa Lisa & Cult Jam produced by Trent Reznor on “Circumambient.” The second track, “Genesis” is like a Friday night, 5th grade couple skate on psilocybin. Although, my instinct is to distrust another lush, 80’s influenced bedroom laptop act, Grimes builds on the dark and beautiful, yet sonically ambivalent soundscapes of 2010’s Geidi Primes and 11’s Darkbloom to create a more polished sound. Visions reveals a more cohesive approach to crafting songs which lends more direction to the album and gives Grimes a distinctive songwriting signature.
See my review of Visions on Tampa’s best music blog, Suburban Apologist