Dance Pop In a Trance
By: Laura Phillips
April 1, 2012
She’s said of herself to believe in aliens, and as Grimes continues her venture through the music wheel, it’s possible such views could be received as a kind of strategy for self-promotion. There’s something otherworldly about Grimes that taps beyond soundscapes and Mariah-high croons– she’s dance, she’s pop, she’s conceptual and in a trance. In her latest LP, Visions, the Montreal-based artist takes her homespun, ethereal aesthetic to a level of accessibility that parallels with popular music’s ideals.
The album’s interplay between tracks demonstrates an overall structure and discipline that surpasses the playful ambiguity of Grime’s earlier work. It’s not that Grimes has changed her style or sound– Visions is simply a showcasing of an artist evolving and refining her creative output through a solid body of work. Abstracted vocals and synth trickles remain at the forefront, but the collection also carries the signs of a successful dance record– catchy hooks, a single-ready track, the revealing ballad, and the pulse that pulls it all together. Still, it’s Grimes’ kraut moments and generally looming trances that set the clutch. Somewhere in this oxymoron of music values, Grimes arrives at a product to please both sides of the fan spectrum.
With the circle of hype surrounding the tiny electro princess, it’s no surprise that Grimes already has new projects underway. Fellow Montreal-based Vancouverite, Cop Car Bonfire, and herself have recently teamed under the duo head Membrain, with tracks already loose on the internet. She’s been backed by a myriad of music’s most authoritative media venues (See this adorable video Dazed Magazine put together), and amongst all the chatter, it becomes clear that many of us could use a little more Grimes in our lives. She may be tiny enough to fit in your back pocket, but her musicality is quickly exceeding in size.
RECOMMENDED LISTENING:
“Nightmusic (feat. Majical Cloudz)”
{http://soundcloud.com/carolabarbieri/grimes-nightmusic-feat-majical}
“Skin”
{http://soundcloud.com/b-chen/skin-b-chen-remix}
**Please note these aren’t the album versions