When this CD arrived I got very excited indeed as I thought SPC ECO had broken up, it had been that long since I last heard anything about them. I also remember being very impressed on seeing them live as a support act a few years ago though sadly I couldn't find my review to work out who they supported.
Now the press release is slavering away about how this is a band featuring Dean Garcia of Curve but doesn't mention that Rose Berlin the singer is his daughter, not that it makes any difference. It also points out the band's name is pronounced "Space Echo" in case you were wondering.
So imagine the crushing disappointment I felt on listening to the album and finding the band's new direction means that Rose's vocals are so auto-tuned in places that you no longer know if she can really sing or not.
The opener Creep In The Shadows is like Portishead for the twenty teens. It proffers dark trip hop beats and the odd sepulchral sounds over Rose's auto-tuned to hell vocals that become a real distraction very quickly for this listener.
Different Kind is musically very cool; dark, ambient, bass-led chill-out at a very dark club with cool almost buried chiming sounds that's only spoiled by the fact that the vocals are so mistreated and abused. In the song, she claims to be losing her mind, but I am too as I wonder why they needed to overdo the auto tune so much.
On the other hand, I love the otherworldly noises at the start of Let It Be Always and the siren of the seas style vocals. The tune almost has a bit of the claustrophobia of Mezzanine-era Massive Attack to it and it also has the purest vocal sound on the album. The textures and twists of sound encapsulated in the bewitching mix of Playing Games feels layered to act as a buffer against the reality surrounding them as Rose whispers in our ears about heartbreak. It almost feels like it should be re-mixed by Faithless as the darkness descends on our minds.
I Won't Be Heard seems to be the most upbeat tune on the album at least musically speaking. Even if the lyrics are still rather doom-laden, the music is almost quick enough for dancing, albeit it in a very moody and morose fashion.
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Meteor is as laid-back and dreamy as you like, almost as if they want to lull us to sleep. Down Low, however, starts off soft before breaking out with all sorts of noises. It's another very Trip Hop gone wrong kind of song. Without the auto-tuned vocals it might be magnificently oddball and slightly whacked out grower of a tune. It's cool with all sorts of weird elements pulling together.
Breathe is, well, as breathy as the title suggests; almost a love song over the dark, Dystopian beats and noises. It's pretty effective. The Whole World Shines is another Portishead meets Faithless style dark tripped-out ambient exploration of claustrophobic beats with dreamy vocals mildly auto-tuned on top of it.
Under My Skin closes the album. It's a very slow song to get going and as Rose's voice quavers in and out over what sounds like quasi-religious organ playing. It's as if the album is closing with a requiem and it's rather affecting and effective.
If you don't mind a bit too much auto-tune then this album will quickly reward repeated listening and would get 8. And even if you don't like auto tune it still rises above that and is never less than an interesting listen. I'm just not sure I like the new direction as much as I liked them live back in the day.
Find out more at Spc Eco at Bandcamp
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