4Q Magazine

Rolo Tomassi – Cosmology (Review)

by Asa Masters on 21.11.10


Rolo Tomassi – Cosmology
(Hassle, 2010)

The Sheffield five-piece’s second album clear blew me away when I first heard it a couple of weeks ago. A friend of mine apparently raved over it when it came out, way back in May, and told me to make sure I listen to it intently. I’m very glad I finally got round to doing so.

The first three tracks are an explosion of energy and sonic delight; ‘Katzenklavier’ opens with a steady, melodic synth line, before a brief, pulsing riff crashes over it; drowning the synth in intermissions. Bounding straight into ‘Agamemnon’, the bass and guitar form modern hardcore visions of Yes, driving in a fantastically powerful movement, as Eva Spence’s ferocious roar emerges.

By this point the record already has you sold; you feel half exhausted from the passion and force this band have created. It’s odd to think that Diplo produced this record, when he’s worked with the likes of Shakira and Snoop Dog before. But the record is very well produced; he’s managed to capture the intensity of their sound brilliantly, and has made transitions between math-tinged sequences and huge hardcore bursts seamless.

‘Unromance’ has a distinctive retro video game film feel in its opening minute, and after a period of more familiar guitar riffs and screaming vocals, the beat slows, and Eva Spence transforms into an angelic, haunting vocalist, reminiscent of Broadcast front women Trish Keenan.

‘French Motel’ gets straight back into brilliant Prog guitar lines and slightly off kilter synth lines, an intermission between two of the more relaxed songs on the record. Diplo’s influence on the synth for ‘Kasia’ can be felt, and we hear Eva mix up her two vocal personas. The final track is a shoegaze styled outro, and the longest track on the record, with Spence’s soft, echoing vocals again take centre stage. It’s a fantastic comedown after the rhythmic pounding of the previous tracks.

This record is simply top class. Its ability and foresight to change vocal directions, rhythms and noisy chaos makes it a feast for the ears, and cements it as one of the most progressive albums of the year. Compared to other high profile, new generation record releases this year, it trumps them all.

Image Gallery

Sorry! No images in this gallery

Share:




Bookmark with:

Comment