SBTRKT’s debut, self-titled album was a huge hit with the critics. And rightly so. Combining house, garage and post-dubstep dance in glitchy union, it not only heralded the unique sounds of a new dance master, it launched the careers of Jessie Ware and Sampha. SBTRKT remains an exciting talent, but in the three year wait until follow-up ‘Wonder Where We Land’, he’s arguably been surpassed by his collaborators.
Both Ware and Sampha return for this second album, alongside
a greater panoply of vocal talents. Chairlift’s
Caroline Polachek sings on the jazzy Look
Away, Vampire Weekend’s Ezra Koenig offers some speech-singing on the bassy
minimalist funk of NEW DORP. NEW YORK,
and newcomer Raury soars on the hip-hop flavoured Higher. A$AP Ferg and
Warpaint also feature on Voices In My
Head – the former providing a drugged out rap flow to match the psychedelia
of the latter.
No matter who he’s matched with, ‘Wonder Where We Land’
always sounds like a SBTRKT album. The
clipped beats and samples and experimental feel remain, each collaborator
forcing him to stretch his limits. For
the most part, though, he fails to bring out the best in his vocalists – their individual
work is ultimately superior. With Ware
and Sampha especially, they add some welcome soulful warmth to the album on the
likes of sprightly piano-based Problem
(Solved), the dizzying Temporary View
and the reggae inflected Gon Stay;
yet the songwriting simply doesn’t match their solo work.
That’s an issue across the album, only exacerbated
when SBTRKT takes on tracks himself. Lantern flickers in and out of earshot
barely leaving an impression and Everybody
Knows is a fairly uninspired slice of funky house. Most of the remaining solo tracks are merely
interludes. ‘Wonder Where We Land’ overall
has a more experimental, scattergun feel than his debut and whilst his unique
stamp is omnipresent, the quality of songwriting and production is simply
stretched too thin. Melody is the
biggest stumbling block, with nothing quite matching the memorable highlights
from the previous album: namely Hold On,
Wildfire and Pharaohs.
This is the main issue with the album: at twenty-one songs
across two discs, there is a substantial amount of music, yet most of the
tracks are simply too short to leave an impression. There’s a lack of development, essentially leaving
the album as a set of tools ripe for extended remixing. ‘Wonder Where We Land’ has flashes of
brilliance, but they’re too insubstantial across the full album. Fans will expect more from this unique
talent - instead, we're left to wonder what he'll do next.
3/5
Gizzle’s Choice:
* Higher
* NEW DORP. NEW YORK
* Voices In My Head
Listen: 'Wonder Where We Land' is available now.
