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Sep 21, 2011 CANT By Ben Schumer

In late 2009, Grizzly Bear’s Chris Taylor made his solo debut under the moniker CANT with the single “Ghosts.” Unsurprisingly, it sounded exactly like a Grizzly Bear outtake. Thankfully, CANT’s debut LP, Dreams Come True (a collaboration with Twin Shadow’s George Lewis Jr.), is a dizzying departure for both artists. The duo wrote and recorded the album in a week and a half following the completion of Twin Shadow’s Forget, and the end result is a heady mélange of styles and sounds that charts an unpredictable course.

While the adventurous nature of Dreams Come True is more than welcome, the lack of quality control is not. Unfortunately, the very brief amount of time spent writing and recording the album is all too apparent: many of the songs are underwritten and the sonic explorations feel half-baked.

Opener “Too Late, Too Far” is a prime example: otherwise interesting production ideas and sonic details are draped over a wobbly frame of a song. On first spin, it sounds cool and interesting, but it never quite coheres into anything terribly memorable. The title track also falls prey to the same problem, but its near industrial, churning grind is something Trent Reznor would be proud to put his name on.

Of course, the album isn’t a total wash. “Believe,” the song that most resembles Twin Shadow, rises to the occasion with dense slabs of Robert Fripp-ish guitar courtesy of Lewis. First single “Answer” also succeeds with soft, skittering beats and a slinky melody not unlike The xx.

The issue with Dreams Come True is not a lack of talent but a lack of time and focus. There’s little doubt this album would have been excellent if Taylor and Lewis had spent just a couple more weeks writing and editing. There’s always next time. (www.terriblerecordsus.com)

Author rating: 5/10