Search - Puressence :: Planet Helpless

A grower, but a fast one

J. o'connor | Hong Kong | 11/16/2002

(4 out of 5 stars)

"While the blurb initially appearing on Amazon.com said vocals take the center stage here, of all Puressence albums this is the LEAST focused on James Mudrizcki's tremolo vocal, which is embedded more in the mix than ever before. It strikes a more electronic and less lively tone than 1998's Only Forever, which may initially dissapoint some fans of that album. In fact, She's Gotten Over You is the only track that recalls the previous album's melodic, soaring desperation (you can almost see Mudrizcki standing on a cliff singing into a hurricane). But fear not; there is a lot going on in the other 11 (or 12 if you get the special import) tracks -- the emotional depth and musical inventiveness that you expect from Puressence are still there, and they're experimenting with new sounds -- from the New Order style drum patterns on several tracks to the harmonies and horns on How Does it Feel, to the more ambient mix on Make Time to the slow groove and kitsch Chinesey piano on the title track. When I say it's a grower, take note that nearly all of it's grown on me within 24 hours of buying it. I gave it 4 instead of 5 stars because it's still growing, so watch this space."