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You are here: Polari Magazine / Music / Interiors • Glasser

Glasser-Interiors

Keam Theme – Glasser

Interiors

★★★★★
Glasser
42:39 min • True Panther Sounds • October 4, 2013
John Preston reviews
…………………………………………………………………………………………

Glasser’s second full length album is less touchy feely than her indie electro 2011 debut, the wondrously rich and textured Ring. With lead singer Cameron Mesirow now cast as a high glamour, high concept academic, Interiors is Glasser’s attempt to interpret human experiences with man-made environments, structures like New York’s Guggenheim maybe, and channel them into predominately man-made music. It’s not as labour intensive as it sounds and on the whole is not a difficult album to listen to, it’s certainly more aloof than her previous work but concessions to a more nurturing and familiar sound do finally rise to the top. There is also a triptych of songs about windows.

‘Shape’ opens up with languid, humming synths and swaying coos. It’s eerie but not alienating and is Glasser’s starting point before she reaches beyond her imagined comfort zone.

I live on the beach, water surrounding me,
And it’s got too deep …
My home has no shape, nothing to sustain me,
But it keeps me safe from imagined pain –

‘Design’ calls to mind  Roisin Murphy’s work with Mathew Herbert in its vocal tics and sounds of machines trying to represent nature and design. The seductive use of strings and sliding synth effects on ‘Landscapes’ provoke and engage. ’Keam Theme’, the one true dancer here, uses mid tempo house beats and hi hats and although Björk references come far too easy (the similarities between this and ‘Vespertine’ are numerous) it’s hard not to think of ‘Hyper Ballad’ as its older more street smart sister.

The aforementioned ‘Window i’ with its gentle pads and clicks is intimate but hollow and ‘Window iii’ and ‘Window ii’ (in that order) are both be short and serve more as interludes but they are also redundant here. The promised visuals that are due to accompany the upcoming tour may help to explain their presence but unaccompanied at least, it’s a minor experimental indulgence. More positively they also usher in Interiors reoccurring use of Cantonese mandolins which, along with saxophone, helps inject the steely soundscapes with human touches. Far eastern musical influences were also heard in Ring but the tribal and more harmonious and inclusive sound of that collection is almost entirely absent from Interiors. The slower songs towards the album’s end are quite lovely. ‘New Year’ in particular has a surprisingly romantic and old fashioned melody with a traditional song structure and is in direct opposition to the somewhat lonely sounding, shiny and self-contained first half.

Glasser has made an album that positions her among the more experimental art pop genre of electronic artists such as Julia Holter and Laurel Halo, it actually sees her sitting precariously between these two specific artists; the surreal, lyrical nature of Holter meets the electronic forward thinking soundscape obsessions of Halo. Interiors however falls short of its aims and ultimately doesn’t become the original and career defining album that it could have been – the material is not consistently strong enough to permit this. Glasser will no doubt bring this music to life over the next year or so with touring and a continuation of the already captivating visuals we’ve seen with the ‘Design’ video and this is something to look forward to. The more intriguing prospect though will be where will Glasser go next – this is an exciting artist with her best material to come.

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About Polari Magazine

Polari Magazine is an LGBT arts and culture magazine that explores the subculture by looking at what is important to the people who are in it. It’s about the lives we lead, not the lifestyles we’re supposed to lead.

Its content is informed & insightful, and features a diverse range of writers from every section of the community. Its intent is to help LGBT readers learn about their own heritage and to sustain a link between the present and the past.

Polari is designed to nurture the idea of community, whether that be social and political, or artistic and creative. It is your magazine, whether you want to read it, or whether you want to get involved in it, if you're gay, lesbian, bisexual, trans, or queer.

Polari Magazine is all these: it's a gay online magazine; it's a gay and lesbian online magazine; it's an LGBT arts and culture magazine. Ultimately, it is a queer magazine.

Latest Posts

  • Polari Magazine 2008-2014December 3, 2014 - 6:16 pm
  • Tearing Up Their Map: An Interview with LambDecember 2, 2014 - 2:45 pm
  • Future Islands • GigDecember 2, 2014 - 1:41 pm
  • Puppets with Attitude (at Christmas)December 1, 2014 - 6:30 pm
  • The Aesthetic of Voyeurism: Interview with Antonio Da SilvaDecember 1, 2014 - 1:25 pm
  • Broke With Expensive Taste • Azealia BanksNovember 28, 2014 - 3:59 pm
  • Royalty Strutting on an American College Stage: Miss and Mr. Gay ISU 2014November 27, 2014 - 2:59 pm
  • Bright Light Bright Light: Everything I Ever WantedNovember 26, 2014 - 11:15 am
  • Jaime Nanci And The Blueboys: ‘Toy’ TalkNovember 25, 2014 - 4:09 pm

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