Xela, "For Frosty Mornings and Summer Nights"

This first album by John Twells, aka Xela, has never sounded better. Reissued and remastered with a couple of bonus tracks, his fusion of beats and atmospherics are like delicate landscapes observed through the windows of a passing train, pristine environments admirable for their untouched beauty.

 

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Drawing from a full textural palette, the album is imbued with an introspective calm without any unexpected intrusions. Even the restrained feedback on "An Abandoned Robot" doesn't upset the balance created thus far. One of the more unexpected sections is the serenely beautiful ending of "Bobble Hats in Summer" which makes me ache for that season. Contrasting this nicely is the extreme quiet of "Digital Winter," with its subdued static and chilly stream evoking a harsh climate.

With many mornings of frost clinging to the windows in recent memory, the first half of the album's title is particularly apt and makes winter that much more bearable. Conversely, the album's warmer sections make me anxious to test the title's second half as soon as possible. Although overall I slightly prefer Xela's newer material, this debut is nearly flawless and has all the qualities I enjoy from his recent work.

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