Grimes is not, in fact, an anarchic sludge metal band. No, Grimes, aka Claire Boucher, is a petite madam from Canada who makes ethereal dream pop ... On GarageBand.
"Visions," Grimes' latest release, fits like a retro re−release of a Michael Jordan sneaker. You put it on and feel the sensation of the past and future meeting in one glorious moment. Grimes joins a host of trending contemporary artists making bedroom music that aches of the ‘80s and ‘90s. The sounds on the album are supplied by a basic microphone and an old−schoolJuno−G keyboard, and they are then mixed and sequenced through GarageBand. Despite the mechanical beats allowed by the basic computer program, Grimes' spirit and personality shine through luminously via her girlie falsetto and boyish confidence. These core ingredients create the perfect background of lo−fi nostalgia and moodiness for Boucher's wailing like a modern−day Mariah Carey. It makes for a sound that is simultaneously reminiscent and modern in its style and flair.
"Oblivion," the album's only single, sounds like it belongs on the "Donnie Darko" (2001) soundtrack. The spooky track features a glossy, ominous bassline that congeals with thin, papery lo−fi drums and Boucher's airy, effervescent voice. The latter half of the track features sounds that seem like they were ripped right out of a Nintendo 64. Boucher's voice has an impressive range, as she starts out high and fluttery before plummeting into a tenor range where the melody resolves. Her lyrics, sung through a distorting microphone, are often difficult to decipher. In the end, listeners are left with the spirit and emotionality of the track, which is spearheaded by Grimes' outpouring of soul.
Most of the tracks are quite likeable and intimate with propulsive, pulsating beats. The image that comes to mind is a lonely ‘80's making a personal album out of lyrics from her diary for her enjoyment. This impression is emphasized by Bouchen's quirky, childlike way of singing. She barely bothers to pronounce her lyrics at times, like a 7−year−old struggling with the strange rhythms of a new word.
Over the course of the 13−track album, it becomes clear that the most compelling aspect of Bouchen as an artist is her unique voice and spirit. This ultimately trumps her production. In interviews, she cites influences like choral hymnals, a cappella songs and Michael Jackson. Grimes joins contemporary artists like James Blake and How to Dress Well in an attempt to infuse the soul of R&B with forward−thinking electronic music. In "Vowels = Space and Time," the most danceable track on the brooding album, Grimes sounds like a futuristic soul diva. Against a Caribbean backdrop, she hits and holds notes that you would expect to be out of her vocal range, effortlessly cascading up and down scales. From time to time, she subtly puts subtle effects on her voice and pitches her vocals to weird registers, taking the music to a trippy atmospheric place.
Strip away the catchy, R&B−influenced siren voice and you are left with beats that are, by Boucher's own confession, made by someone with little musical background and knowledge. The rhythms get repetitive and static in quality, and the timbres of the drums are corny and outdated. The mechanical nature of the beats is the result of Grimes sequencing all of her beats in GarageBand instead of actually playing the rhythms out herself. While this emphasizes the ‘80s aesthetic, it also makes for boring, robotic music. There are moments of the album that are painfully amateurish, especially for a musician signed to a major label. It is very apparent from listening to the album that the majority of the work was put into the vocals, while the backdrops were a secondary affair.
Grimes' do−it−yourself aesthetic is one that has garnered success for many a bedroom musician in the last five years; it has also garnered Grimes her own fair share of hype. Often, the hype around the recording aesthetic and the oddball personality of the musician transcends the music itself. In this case, Grimes unequivocally shows merit in her bid to be a lauded pop star of sorts. Her charisma and personality are undeniably contagious, and her catchy vocals have plenty of crossover potential.
