Released on Hotflush Recordings, 19th July



The initial reaction upon listening to Crooks and Lovers was: “What’s going on here?" It was very hard to categorise the Mount Kimbie sound;  vaguely minimal and very vaguely dubstep, the album itself sounded badly mastered, High-Mid heavy, out of tune and out of time... But then a few days later whilst quite high, I listened to the EP again, and suddenly it dawned that it is actually genius. It all started making sense. The Mount Kimbie Post-Dubstep sound is stunningly original and incredibly clever, using great minimal rhythmic patterns, off the wall melodies, and a brilliant use of very interesting reverbs that draw you into the mad world of Crooks and Lovers. The only reason that I initially turned away from this album is because I have (like seemingly everyone else) have been totally encompassed by the bass heavy Dubstep/DNB sound. Mount Kimbie are one of the leading Post-Dubstep pioneers and took me completely by surprise. And I love being surprised.
 
“Carbonated” was the first track that snagged the attention, The melodies in this piece purvey a feeling of delicate beauty. Combined with some female vocals that have been cleverly edited, this sound is very uplifting in a muted sort of way. “Blind Night Errand” is another great track that has caught my ear, and is the only one on the album that I would like to hear in a club; the wobbling lead/bass lines are set in a really nice reverb and I love the low to high sweeping that takes place. Once again, be aware this track is not hugely bass heavy, BUT it is incredibly catchy and a great number, especially when you’ve had a few s*^&ff’s. Other tracks to look out for are "Ruby" with an awesomely swung hi-hat part, "Would Know" and "Mayor".
 
If there is any thing I can whinge about it is the bloody “Hot Flush Recordings, promo copy” female robo voice that has been smeared all over every track on the copy that I received,
 
Over all this album is catchy, off the wall, experimental and at times just plain mental, but that’s why I like it. The originality runs through every level; the melodies, rhythms, structure, effects, leveling and mastering, and whilst Crooks and Lovers is pretty crazy, it still provides you with something to hang onto, allowing the listener to get right into the music. Take three listens through this album before coming to any conclusions because, trust me, it grows on you.
 




9.5/10

Posted In Album Reviews, Jul 18 2010. Words - Aiden Fry