Autamata – Short Stories

Posted on 14th Nov 05 by Contributor | 0

Artist: Autamata
Author: Anna Murray

Would this album be more justifiably reviewed as a book" Certainly this" the second offering from studio whiz kid Ken McHugh"s Autamata" has much more in common with a collection of short stories than it does the unity we find in a traditional album or even novel. Yet it is exactly this disparity between its very elements that make it so absorbing.

Despite having what seem to be the heart" soul and musical influence of an indie band trapped in the body of an electronica master" never do we detect any hints that Autamata feel in any way constrained by the distinction of style" and their own proclaimed style in particular. It is an open confidence which allows them to glide between genres so seamlessly and intriguingly. Rich synthesisers weave their way hand in hand with statements from Halite"s drummer Graham Hopkins. The ethereal quality of Carol Keogh"s "Tycho Brahe" and Sarah Verdon"s voices lend an oddly juxtaposed air of sophistication to a style renowned for its bluntness.

After the dubious success of My Sanctuary "despite having songs featured in Tara Rd as well as Woody Allen"s Match Point" sales remained low"" Autamata are prepared to give their hearts into this one. Multi"instrumentalist Ken"s presence is felt strongly in his particular rich and complex arranging and producing" but the lyrics obviously belong to the girls" imbued as they are with frank feminine insecurities and" conversely" confidences. The one exception is the lingering and airy Great for Us" Ken"s pared down and quirky accession to the singer"songwriter. In a CD that runs the gamut from hard rock"played"dance "in Crazy and Bring It On" to tunes bordering on folksy "Liberty Bell" to sparse electronica "All I Need"" its inclusion is no surprise.

Perhaps the most striking feature of this album is the questions it leaves in its wake. It refusal to remain either rock or pop or dance or electronica shrouds distinctions and this ambiguity makes you wonder if it"s not all the same in the end anyway" In our increasingly technology"based world and music industry in particular" can electronic media be dismissed as a viable future for "rock" music" Computer"generated music is often treated with contempt for its "artificial" nature" but is it any less real than music played on a guitar" Autamata show us that the effect desired can be equally achieved by both" never compromising in stylishness and always underscoring honest talent above cheap tricks.