aaamusic | On 09, Apr 2012

There’s something rather interesting going on in Man Without Country’s latest single, ‘Puppets’. The dreamy, gentle vocals that wash over the lush soundscape suggests that someone might enjoy a bit of My Bloody Valentine every now and again. It’s got that same hypnotic sense of getting lost in a sound that’s several feet deep but incredibly well-orchestrated in a dense way. But the sound isn’t so much walls of guitar chorus as layer upon layer of synths. This means that there’s a mechanical precision to the rhythms and an oddly dance-friendly sound, especially in the parts that could be called the chorus, where gritty bass synths are boosted by cascading sequences of notes. By the time the mid-eight comes about, the track has become a surprisingly intense affair, the synths managing to create an emotive impact over the strict techno tempo, and the fade-out, while a little abrupt, leaves you wanting more. This is a brief and first encounter with Man Without Country, and I would be very interested in hearing more electro-shoegaze-pop goodness if this is anything to go by.

★★★★★

Katie H-Halinski