Shape Of The Rainbow

Brightblack Morning Light “Hologram Buffalo” – Brightblack Morning Light’s debut album feels a bit like watching  moonlight shimmer on water in slow motion, and it sounds best when you can get some kind of overlap in your mind between focused attention and zoned-out bliss. (This state might otherwise be known as “being stoned,” but I never get stoned.) Their second record Motion To Return has a similar effect and utility, but the tone is much darker, and the style leans heavily on what could best be described as “tranq dart gospel.” The duo obsess over the most atmospheric elements of old gospel records, to the point that the genre becomes abstracted in their context, melted down into essential textures, moody haze, and a reassuring swell of harmony. “Hologram Buffalo” is especially effective in evoking the aural iconography of gospel without taking on its actual form, making it an illusion just like the one suggested in its title.  (Click here to buy it from Matador Records.)