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| No, this isn't another MTV techno sampler, stupid -- it's the third album
of sonic
sophistication from Richard Walker and Karine Charff. The Amp working
philosophy
could be defined as equal parts "Slow and steady wins the race" and "My Bloody
Valentine were effing brilliant", for these are intricate combinations of
shifting sounds,
blurry guitar and langorous piano, topped with Charff's quietly urgent
vocals. This
is a group that's not afraid to veer into quiet piano elegies ("Songe") or
to crank out
loop-laden feedback-fests ("Tango Non"), or indeed to populate much of the
intervening
space with spartan, solemn instrumental snippets. Amp's skill at pop song
construction
is demonstrated ably on the accessible "Sunflower" and the unhurried
"Tomorrow", while
"Bilboquet" and "Outlier" give voice to more experimental urges. If you've
enjoyed MBV,
Stereolab or any of Amp's Kranky labelmates, I'd be surprised if
stenorette wasn't
right up your alley.
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