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Simian | Chemistry Is What We Are

A fantastically experimental, yet melodic album.
CD, Source/Labels

Tekst: Bas Ickenroth

Publicatiedatum: 05 september 2001

This is just what today's pop music needed. And I mean this. It doesn't happen all the time: A band comes out of the blue and debuts in a way like his. Simian is their name, and their 'Chemistry is What We Are' is probably the best debut album in years. Why? Because of the songs. Because of the instrumentation. Because of the heavenly vocals. But most of all, because of the perfect mix between tradition and experiment. Not that they are completely original, oh no. Vocals inspired by Beach Boys and Beatles, psychedelica provided by Syd Barrett and Bowie and Eno, and the instrumentation blueprints come from Autechre. But they manage to combine all of those things together in a completely natural way. The things are just a means to an end: beautiful songs. What Radiohead try so hard to do yet hardly succeed in - incorporating experimental electronica in good songs - Simian do effortlessly on the entire album, song after song. They're atmospheric yet direct, they're experimental yet catchy. Superlatives are not enough to describe the pure bliss of the multi-layered Bowie/Eno vocals over an Autechre foundation in 'The Wisp', or the Elliott Smith-goes-analog-keyboards song 'You Set Off My Brain'. Or the title song (and new single), which is the best psychedelic Beatles song they never wrote. I could describe all songs, as they are all exceptionally good, but even that wouldn't be accurate enough for this mind-blowing experience. Simian: Remember the name, go buy the album, and be stunned. Just like me. A true revelation.

http://www.kindamuzik.net/recensie/simian/chemistry-is-what-we-are/1019/
Meer Simian op KindaMuzik: http://www.kindamuzik.net/artiest/simian