A taste for histrionics may be necessary when listening to the newest music from Alex Paulick and Rob Taylor. Every second of sound is rendered full of nuance and silky ease by way of gentle percussion, wavering melodies, and a deep bass resonance. On top of that is Taylor's voice. It is a voice that immediately reminds of me of lounge act vocalists and jazz crooners howling beneath a deep dark sky lit only by a cloud-veiled moon.
"The Second Closer Still" begins with a beeping rhythm and Taylor singing in a flat-toned voice marked by an incessant and urgent movement. Slowly, other elements are added and by the end violins are momentarily added to achieve a dramatic angle that is only increased by the closing vocals: "They say the first blade shaves you close/The second closer still." It's a promising start and indeed much of the instrumentation on Finery is full and gorgeous but also just a little melodramatic. "You Are Here" and "Summer Clothes" both have just enough cheese in them to make me feel a bit uncomfortable and squeamish. The music would stand well enough on its own. However, Taylor's voice is at the front and center of every song and it sounds just a bit alien in certain places. It's a minor nuisance, but one that builds over time. "The Tailor" and "Green Eyes of the Yellow God" are, on the other hand, brilliantly executed and the vocals (still as dramatic as ever) fit more agreeably with Paulick's arrangements. The former is a violin-led piece drowned in a bit of mystery and a rather sophisticated ether. The latter features a vibraphone and static drum part that skip and hover ambivalently around a keyboard and vocal-centered melody. Much of the second half of Finery sounds better than the first due in part to a more successful blend of the vocals with the instruments. The last few songs are also a bit longer and so everything has more time to develop and play itself out. Coloma's writing is warm and welcoming. Overall they have put together a good collection of dreamy music. Perhaps an instrumental version of the album is in order; the absence of a singer or perhaps a de-empahsizing of the vocals on several of these tracks would have made Finery excellent. 
Read More
