Exitmusic, the New York City electronic duo, first appeared on the map in late 2007 with the release of their debut album, The Decline Of The West. Comparisons in sound to Radiohead were made almost immediately. Fitting, as they share their handle with the famous Radiohead song, “Exit Music (For A Film).” Although the similarities are there, the sounds off of From Silence, Exitmusic’s latest EP, are darker and have more of a post-punk influence.
The overall atmosphere of the disc puts the listener into a sort of dream world, with all the effects, whispers and the moans of vocalist Aleksa Palladino. “The Sea,” the disc’s opener, is a pleasant track that leads you in with beautiful resonance and relaxing vocals, and then the drums pick up and take it away. “The Modern Age” follows with heavy bass and deep guttural sounds produced by Palladino, akin to that of speaking while sitting in a massage chair. Maybe she was sitting in front of the amp while recording, I’m not sure. Otherwise, the chorus is very catchy and peaceful, making this cut more than bearable.
Any mistakes on the EP thus far were completely erased from my memory after listening to “The Hours.” Palladino refrains from the animalistic sounds and delivers soft, peaceful tones backed by the upbeat chimes and percussion. “The Silence” then closes out the record on a similar note. The entire song feels like a five-minute fade out, struggling to stay one moment, but gone the next.
At 18 minutes, this EP really showcases everything about this group. It’s a sample that goes from the good and the not so good, ranging from peaceful bliss to upbeat melodies to animal sounds. Overall, the good far outweighs the bad, making this disc definitely worth a listen or two… or three.
In A Word: Entrancing
