Synthesizers burp
Bubble and loop, hook your ears
Homemade, angelic
Notes: I profiled Grimes briefly at the tail-end of last year, applauding the catchiness and caprice of her latest output, which at the time was limited to her Darkbloom EP and "Oblivion." Well, Grimes (real name, Claire Boucher) released her third full-length today and as predicted, the record is gorgeous synth-pop; consider this a victory lap.
It's easy to get a sense of Boucher's sound from the opening of "Genesis" or the first arpeggio of "Oblivion"--craftily repetitive synth lines swirling together with gentle falsettos and coy lyricisms, genre-hopping maintained throughout. To pseudo-recycle my previous commentary, she's equal parts Madonna, John Carpenter and New Order, blending pre-pubescent proclivities with art-school psychedelics and GarageBand.
While I'd like to assume other listeners find her equally captivating, it really depends on their predisposition to music filled with so much sugar. I own Like a Virgin and Madonna on vinyl; clearly, this isn't an issue for me. In Pitchfork's ho-hum review, Lindsay Zoladz aptly argues that Visions "is an unabashed embrace of its source material, whether it's K-pop, new age, or bubblegum." That's certainly true, with a wide range of rather quirky, retro or "guilty-pleasure" influences coloring the album, un-ironically.
Of course, this is a relatively low hurdle to clear. Grimes' peculiar brand of pop-bliss is cherubic, her voice unique and if you can't enjoy the gloss, you're probably not the type of person who dances alone in their apartment.
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Grimes - Oblivion
Grimes - Genesis
Grimes - Infinite ♡ Without Fulfillment (intro)
Grimes - Eight
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