Author's songs and choral spirit, electronics and melancholy. In their debut album “Kids In Traffic”, the Mildfire quartet, led by Einar Stray and based between Oslo and Berlin, reinterprets nu jazz and post-rock in an art-pop key. The ensemble of musicians/composers, born from the experience of the Einar Stray Orchestra, shapes a sound that blends the rhythmic taste of To Rococo Rot with the washed out colors of Notwist and the choral impulses of the Efterklang of “Parades”. “Drinking Salt Water” is emblematic, where vocal overlaps and broken rhythms enhance the alternation of thoughtful moments and openings. Among other episodes, the short suite “How To Be An Astronaut” takes up an airy folktronic intimacy, while “Oak Floor” introduces Mice Parade-style indie guitar and then diverts to a Mellotron-like backdrop and decidedly Radioheadian chords.
An album that makes its presence felt, without ever having to raise your voice.
08/11/2024
Antonio Santini for SANREMO.FM
