See the Sound

Tasteful and relaxed, See the Sound's electro-soul evokes getting soaked in the summer rain and "starting anew with every sunbeam." The drum'n'bass influence is evident in songs such as the album opener, "Purest One," and you can hear the group's trip-hop roots in numbers such as "Portrait," which ends with Lissette Alea singing in French. Alea's elegant, sultry vocals perfectly complement the smooth mixture of musical styles on this album, and Etro Anime maintain an appealingly light and sophisticated mood as they alternate between chillout and dance. The relatively energetic "Danger" is noteworthy for the expressive sax solo by David Fisher, Alea's melancholy voice is particularly gorgeous on "Let It Go," and Ted Birkey's gentle keyboards enhance several songs. The lyrics tend to fall into torch song territory as they address the "danger of falling in love" and "being tired of watching love slip away." The music sounds a bit generic on a couple occasions, and the instrumental "All I Need" illustrates how the other songs benefit from the warmth provided by Alea's vocals, but overall this is a fine effort.