The Album Leaf - In an Off White Room EP
(Troubleman Unlimited)
The Album Leaf is Jimmy LaValle of Tristeza's side project. Being a
principal songwriter in Tristeza, The Album Leaf has its stylistic
similarities. They're a little hidden, though, because the main instrument used is a
keyboard, not a guitar.
"Project Loop" opens the EP and could very well be a Tristeza song being
played on keyboards. The repetitive melodies intertwining over interesting
chord changes and drums which teeter between "beats" and "a beat" follow
a path similar to ones Tristeza has cleared in the past. The sound of rain
accompanies a drifting organ on "Glisten," a peaceful minimal opposite of
"Project Loop." Somewhere between the two lies "Six AM" which is a pretty
song that has a distinct, dreamy direction. However, one of the keyboards is
slightly grating and seems to overpower the rest of the song, which makes it
hard to enjoy. "Off White Room" is a song which completely bridges any gap
between Tristeza and The Album Leaf. It has LaValle's very recognizable
electric guitar sound playing over keyboard drones. The guitar part is far
more sparse than any Tristeza song but could easily fit on a Tristeza
album. After "Off White Room" is a long gap of quiet found sound followed
by a fun cover of Kraftwerk's "Computer Love."
LaValle has moved further into electronics and ambience and continues to
write great songs within whatever context he takes the sounds.
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