the endless: somniloquy (2009)

The Endless
Somniloquy •••
Queen Of The Moon

Somniloquy is the fourth album from California-based husband and wife duo David and Adriana Roze and has been in the works for over three years. Citing Imogen Heap, Goldfrapp and Portishead as inspirations, they define their sound as “electronic shoegaze and dream-pop”, which proves to be an amiable and accurate description. Combining hand-played string and wind instruments with lush, warm electronica, their music is rounded, dreamy and ethereal. Somniloquy seems to be a concept album, inspired by “dreams, ghosts, mediums, stage magic, 19th century photographs, Spiritualists, séances, ectoplasm and Bess Houdini”, themes that are reflected in the artwork with unsettling yet aesthetic panache; using sepia photography as medium, the couple are depicted in full period dress and typical Victorian poses, from table-sat séances to blindfolded ectoplasmic displays.

Standout tracks on the album include their cover of Neil Young’s ‘After The Gold Rush’, a modern reworking of the song and its subject matter, principally the devastation caused by aggressive, self-destructive human behaviour. Retaining the original vocal melodies, the Rozes add looming electro basslines and sorrowful violins, creating a haunting premonition of what is/could be. The title track also deserves a special mention. Created around answerphone recordings from fans who were asked to anonymously call a number and share their dreams, the resulting track is a bizarre stream of scattered psychological glimpses, backed by ethereal, fluctuating pitches.

The art and concepts of Somniloquy explore may be steeped in 19th century nostalgia, but the subject matter is universal and transcendent of time, drawing on themes of love and the relationship between heart and self. Amid the somewhat eerie settings, there is a pleasing warmth and modernity; each song is crafted with care and thought, composed with subtle layers and looping refrains. Tackling the majority of vocal duties, Adriana has a versatile voice, capable of both sailing, breathy cooing and darker ethereal melodies. There are clear dream-pop conventions at work here, melting into the folktronica canvas of their work; this is ambient chillout music, but with content.

Charlotte Richardson Andrews
UK release date: 13/01/09 [digital only]; www.myspace.com/theendless

 

Adopting the groundbreaking Sheeba Records marketing approach of nominal pricing pioneered by Jane Siberry long before Radiohead ever dreamed it up, with Somniloquy The Endless admirably hope to be able to “establish a system of trust” with their listeners and fly in the face of more reliable pricing methods. So far it seems to be working for them. Although around 4 in 10 listeners have downloaded the album (and its predecessor The Republic Of Heaven) for free, those who have paid for it have done so over the normal asking price. Investigate here.

Written by: Wears The Trousers magazine

Tags: charlotte richardson andrews, the endless

This entry was posted on Monday, January 19th, 2009 at 11:00 am and is filed under albums & EPs, reviews. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can leave a response, or trackback from your own site.