Reviewsic [ri-vyoo-zik] -noun: Music worth talking about

In the once gritty terrain of the famed Jesse James a less violent but equally charming man by the name
of Darrin Seal is making music of the same quality. Saharan Gazelle Boy is the personal project of Seal, who also plays with the Kansas City based band Capybara. Under the moniker of Saharan Gazelle Boy Darrin brings to us his album, Airplanes Can’t- an eleven track tribute to the all too forgotten stylistic zeal of 80’s synth and keys, laced in just the right amount of indie experimentation to keep it current.

Airplanes Can’t starts off with a track brimming with indie sensibility, particularly in its guitar, percussion, and keyboard break mid-song, which brings a tiny hint of surf-y sound to ‘Aiming a Wave’. While the album over all is rather minimalist, with the empty room echo of songs like ‘Those Days’ and the simple but somewhat jazzy time signature of ‘I’m Not Tired’, Airplanes Can’t does pick up its pace in other tracks. Plugging bass and Cure-esque guitar are soaked in synth during ‘Cupid Song’ and ‘All Eyes’, a song we would believe was from a John Hughes film soundtrack if you someone told us so.

There’s a slight flatness to Seal’s vocals, which may not be for everyone, but this quality does see some relief in the whispery effect used in the previously mentioned ‘Cupid Song’ and ‘Electric Animals’. ‘For Jill’ and ‘Medicine Dreams’ are interesting in the experimental sense, forgoing traditional verse-chorus layouts for a twangy, eastern orient inspired instrumental track (save for a few “oh’s”) in the former, and an off kilter keyboard and vocal melody in the latter.

Hints of everything from MGMT to Bright Eyes lie within this release from Sarahan Gazelle Boy, and we can’t describe its usefulness any better than the label supporter of Airplanes Can’t, The Record Machine, does on their website, “Airplanes Can’t is at times a spacious record for a lazy summer spent underwater, and at other times a lofty dedication to fleeting but all-consuming love”

Airplanes Can’t can be downloaded for a mere $2 through The Record Machine’s online store.

Tags: Album Review, New Music

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