FRIDAY, JULY 24, 2009
Cale Parks, the dainty drummer of bands Aloha and White Williams, has solo ambitions that are out of this world. So far out, in fact, his third release promises to take you away from your messy bedroom and all the way To Swift Mars. Just as I always imagined, the journey to Mars is accompanied by ethereal synthesizers, twinkling piano passages, occasional handclaps, and crystalline electronica. Traveling with Tinkerbell through dreamy constellations sure beats puttering around in one of those pesky, noisy rocket ships.
Parks combines his impeccable rhythms with New Wave aesthetics to create hypnotizing songs that flow easily. He shoots for New Order, but tends to hit Moby, though in this case that's meant as a compliment. The standout track is "Eyes Won't Shut," a syncopated sonic throwback with a super infectious chorus. The CD is only six tracks long, most of which slip into ambience, but it's a magical ambience, an interplay of shadow and neon sliding around in zero gravity. Perfect for closing your eyes and floating high above the rooftops of a plasticine city, dozy and docile, all blurring lights and softly pulsating sound waves. - Nina Mashurova
