Randall Nieman cut his teeth in the Michigan space-rock scene playingwith Windy & Carl (then a quartet). Moving on to start a newproject, F?xa, with former Asha Vida member Ryan Anderson, Nieman wasable to fully explore the electronic counterpart to his interests, inaddition to guitar and bass work. Although Anderson his since departed,Nieman has continued with rather prolific output ('Supercharged' marksthe sixth full-length release). The array of instrumentation on thisalbum is all in dreamy hints and touches. The theremin, Moog and synthsnever overpower the guitar, bass and drums, or vice versa. Less trippythan previous efforts like 'Very Well Organized' and less airy than '3Field Rotation', 'Supercharged' draws from both styles, but infusesthem with darker, milder overtones. The first of the eight tracks,"Hide Away" is a prime example. Smoky and magnetic, this song featuresassistance from The Telescopes'/Unisex's Jo Doran and Stephan Lawrie,who lend their low, sparse vocals (something new to F?xa's mostlyinstrumental repetoire), which are submerged into the waftingelectronics. Then, later moving on in a different direction, the thirdtrack "420" is distorted and noisy. 'Supercharged' has a lot ofvariety, but still manages to retain a sense of balance, and is verypolished and even. "It Was You" is another outstanding track,highlighting Nieman's skill for handling analog electronics as well asthat of drummer Drew Peters (another figure in the burgeoning Michiganscene). The result is simple and charming. Unfortunately, thecharismatic beginning of the album just doesn't follow through to theend: "The Formula", "We Could Be Together" and "In Your Dreams" arepretty and quaint, but become difficult to distinguish after the albumreaches its midpoint and lack the character of the songs which preceedthem. That said, I still wouldn't hesitate to recommend 'Supercharged'to fans of F?xa's previous work or anyone who has an appreciation forthoughtful, introspective instrumental music, such as The Album Leaf(on whom F?xa are clearly an influence). Plus, the sublime artwork byMartin Andersen (ex-v23) is an excellent bonus.
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