Gone Blind EP

Porcelain Raft

Acephale

Mar 13, 2011 Issue #35 - Winter 2011 - Death Cab for Cutie By Laura Studarus

As Porcelain Raft, Mauro Remiddi sculpts hazy, electro soundscapes, weaving lo-fi pop through wandering compositions that seem to exist in a universe just separate from ours. Gone Blind is an appropriate name for the effort, as Ramiddi's music is a tactile, all-consuming expression, meant not just to be heard, but also felt.

Like Beach House before him, Porcelain Raft is comprised of equal parts music, atmosphere, and emotion. "Talk to Me"—perhaps the EPs most morose cut—perfectly channels the ennui of Thom Yorke's solo album, Remiddi's voice bobbing up and down through a sea of white noise. But it's not all gloom and doom. In contrast, the downtrodden "I Found a Way" sounds downright cheery, adding both thudding bass and guarded optimism to the ambient soup of "Talk to Me." Both "Gone Blind" and "Dragonfly" act as a cheery flipside, pulling back on the electronics and upping the 1950s pop elements, sounding like the best demo your favorite retro-worshiping band forgot to record. Able to twist both mood and expectations, Porcelain Raft is one to watch. (www.porcelainraft.com)

Author rating: 7/10

Rate this album
Average reader rating: 9/10