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Sep 01, 2014 Web Exclusive By Mack Hayden

Movement‘s self-titled EP is an affair with darkness which brings little of note to light. Herein are songs of barrenness, a soulful voice coupled with lurching electronics. It’s a bit like Blood Orange with less pizzazz, an EP Devonte Hynes would make if he stripped himself of his talent for flourishes and flair. Movement is walking a minimalist tightrope of increasing commonness in this day and age. It’s become hip to put out R&B which sounds like it’s on the verge of a serious depression. This EP could be great, something like Marvin Gaye’s most melancholy moments filtered through No Wave, if it weren’t so boring.

Plenty of music is enthralling precisely because of how little is going on, but when it comes to Movement, there’s just too little actual movement to enjoy. Each track bleeds into the next, cohesive only because it sounds so much like the one before it. The vocals and keyboards are moody enough to respect but not interesting enough to enjoy. This is background music hoping to be foregrounded, but it just can’t be. (www.movementsounds.com)

Author rating: 4.5/10