23 December 2015

GRIMES- "ART ANGELS"


Claire Elise Boucher has established herself as one of the most relentlessly prolific musical forces to be reckoned with in the last five years; through an earnest, whimsical art school approach and neon-pop allure, she's carved a name for herself as both performer and producer under the name GRIMES.  Releasing a slew of self-produced/self-contained EP's and albums under both her name and the Grimes moniker within a few short years- the debut of her widely-revered label debut "Visions" is what cemented her path as an intriguing, idiosyncratic creator.

Pushing her wide gamut of influences (which scour the deep cuts of electronics, dance, pop, R&B, and practically everything but the kitchen sink), her new album "Art Angels" finds the mystical misadventures of Grimes swimming into the waters of an uncharted pop space odyssey.  The bleeps and bloops of the critically-acclaimed "Visions" is still there, as are the frantically manic blasts of near-violent synthscapes-- but now they serve as a source of rhythm and texture to accompany MELODY.  Never one to shy from her love of radio-friendly hooks or refrains, "Art Angels" is a widely-intoxicating and wholly engaging album to first time listeners as it embraces its pop-sensibilities whole-heartedly.


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