Wish Me Away

Most bands that claim to be a blend of rock and electronica lean too heavily to one side or the other, using synthesizers to color what's basically a rock band, or dropping some rock beats into music that's synth heavy and usually downtempo. 46bliss isn't going to make you punch the air, but their mix of technology, rock song structures, and the soothing vocals of Clare Venoit fare better than most at producing a hybrid that doesn't dishonor either genre. The fact that they have a firm grasp on the craft of songwriting is their main strength. They don't use synthesizers merely for the effect; the sounds are integrated into arrangements that sound like they're played on real instruments, even if they're not. The drum loops Jack Freudenheim creates have a sense of swing that many electronic bands lack, and David Cooper's keyboards, synthetic or not, have a warm, inviting sound and always serve the song. The music is pop, not techno; a casual listener might not even notice it's electronica. The band shows their bravery on the first track, "Joan of Arc," by programming the synthesizer to sound like an accordion. While faux marimbas cavort in the background, Venoit serenades her vision of Joan of Arc, a lost soul in search of a crusade she can win. Cooper croons "2B1," the kind of jaded love song Depeche Mode used to be so good at, his disinterested vocal is a perfect fit for the alienated lyrics. The song builds to a gorgeous pop climax with an overdubbed chorus of male and female voices sighing wordlessly in the background. "Na Na Na Na" is a folk-rock tune with a catchy nonsense refrain that intensifies the feeling of unattainable love, "Sentimental Angel" is a groove-oriented R&B track with distorted keyboards, a vaguely hip-hop backbeat, and minimal vocals, while the keys on "You're Not God" also sound like fuzzy rock guitar. It brings to mind a lost Talking Heads track, although the bitter, vindictive lyric has a lot more bile than that band ever mustered. "Til Your Dying Day" is a short cryptic piece that could be about Mary bringing food to the dying Jesus, or any lover on a hopeless mission. It segues into "All Over Now," which closes the album on a funereal note. The death may be actual or metaphorical; the eerie music and Venoit's mournful vocal give the track a feeling somewhere between hope and despair. The album is full of lush pop melodies and the languid vocals of Venoit and Cooper lull you into a dreamy state that neatly contrasts with lyrics rife with lost love, limitations and mortality, giving the record an unexpected depth. ~ j. poet, Rovi