Singing electricity!
Zachary Young | New York, NY | 04/09/2007
(4 out of 5 stars)
"On "The Electricity In Your House Wants To Sing", Shawn Han-Liem crafts cerebral, melodic music in a similar vein to his previous album, "Grace Days". All of his signatures are here: contrapuntal interplay between various synthesized melodies, creative drum programming, and a smattering of sampled pianos, brass and other instruments. While Liem doesn't break much new ground, he is in top form, creating some of his most lovely and memorable work to date. The album opens with a brief piano solo, sampled elements of which resurface throughout the first track, an uptempo piece filled with swirling beeps that rise, fall, and bend. The highlight of the album is "The Work", which weaves together intricate melodic lines and textures into a wonderfully conherent whole. The album closer "center cities" is another high point, recalling the themes of the title track opener. There is an organic quality to this music that belies its mechanical precision."