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Jan 25, 2019 Web Exclusive By Lee Adcock

The old drivers say that when you stare ahead for hours on a long trip, the road can lull you into a trance. And that’s not good when you’re driving, because sleepy drivers are bound to veer off the road and crash. With her third album, then, Eva Moolchan has checked all three mirrors before steering her ninja-like minimalist project Sneaks down a decisively curvier route. While 2017’s It’s a Myth clocked several miles from her strictly ESG-like bass workouts, Highway Hypnosis cruises into a diamond-studded warp zone. From the streets of London to white sleeves from Lisbon, Moolchan has set her chopped logic loose upon a whole new playground—and trust me, no one’s falling asleep in this trip.

From the get-go, Moolchan reminds us to ease the seat back and enjoy the view. Songs like “Ecstasy” and “The Way It Goes” merge suave hip-hop beats with Sneaks’ non-sequitur mischief, twisting the typical braggadocio of rappers into abstract skits. Meanwhile, tunes like “Addis” and “Saiditzoneza” offer minute-long glimpses into pit stops along they way—the former could’ve been a cut from Portugal’s Principe label, while the latter renders a cryptic message from the desk of Mica Levi. Yet, even after a whole day in the driver’s seat with Highway Hypnosis, lead single “Beliefs” still takes the listener to the most baffling rest area of all—underground Atlanta. Between the hazy, woofer-bumping beat and the piano chords that waft in like the spring breezes, Moolchan seems to consult with both Lonnie Holley and Ethereal at the same time.

Hopefully, if you too see yourself jumping and tumbling to the M.I.A.—like “Hong Kong to Amsterdam” at the album’s end, you likely won’t miss bass-master Sneaks. Granted, that’s here too, in the last four minutes before our destination—but even “A Lil Close” proves to all travelers that Moolchan has mastered the repetition of the open road. (www.sneaks.bandcamp.com)

Author rating: 8/10