Words: Ryan Getz
The dream pop collective from Greece makes an unlikely return to the music realm with Now I’m Ready, ready to go with a new vocalist. I honestly didn’t get around to listening extensively to the previous record, but I liked enough what I heard in passing to know that Now I’m Ready was worth my time.
I’m not really sure what to say about this record. I enjoy it. But on a surface level it doesn’t really stand out a lot from the band’s several counterparts. On a standalone basis, Now I’m Ready is pretty darn enjoyable though.
Critics of this band will probably compare it to elevator music. While that term has a negative connotation, let’s focus on what actually makes elevator music what it is. This music blends into the background, creating calming effect that is neither sleep nor adrenaline inducing. It just produces a sort of quiet contentment.
That’s precisely the strategy that Keep Shelly in Athens have nailed with this record.
Do you know what other artist has nailed the elevator music technique? Tycho. Keep Shelly in Athens has taken this same strategy and added ethereal female vocals in the vein of Beach House. Tycho and Keep Shelly in Athens share the ability to compose versatile music – music that forms the soundtrack to mundane everyday life, a much needed vacation, or full immersion in a live experience. I’d be interested to see the visuals that would come about in response to this record. In particular, the album ender “Hunter” ought to have some interesting twists and turns in visual complements, as the song as some interesting twists and turns of its own.
So, Now I’m Ready is essentially eight tunes that work well as background noise, yet are full of easter eggs for the nit-picky music nerds.
[soundcloud url=”https://api.soundcloud.com/tracks/220892111″ /]
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