Pitch Perfect
  • Pitch Perfect
  • Indie Music Album Reviews
  • About
  • Submissions
  • Top albums
  • Features
  • Contact

Christopher Bell - Sirens

11/28/2013

0 Comments

 
Picture
Christopher Bell

Sirens
self-released; 2013

3.9 out of 5

By Sean Dennison

Man, Christopher Bell loves his vocal overdubs. I think 90 percent of the tracks open with really pleasant, slightly offbeat harmonies (all Bell's voice, I'm assuming), usually accompanied by rhythmic tapping or handclapping. One of the tags used to describe Sirens, ten songs of delightful folk pop, is quirky, and this is like the fourth rewrite of this review because I kept using that word to describe the music.

Christopher Bell is a cellist and something of an eccentric. After all, canoeing the Erie Canal and biking from New York to Illinois while touring isn't something you hear about every day. This subtly translates into the music, primarily through the vocal loops, yes, which give the songs a slightly psychedelic, ethereal quality, but also in the playful rhythms Bell employs. "You Are An Atom" uses lovely percussion with whimsical string sound effects (there's a harp-sounding bit that makes me think of birds fluttering their wings), and "In the Morning" follows suit with some fun hand-clapping and barbershop-like vocalization.

The songs, while firmly grounded in indie pop, display a wide variety of influence. "This Road" features some slick beatboxing with syrupy string plucks, and I can't think of more appropriate music to deliver rhymes like "birds and hilltops flutter past / as the engine hums hot and fast." "I Pray" puts Bell's cello skills at the forefront; mournful moans, shady flutes and Bell himself concoct a jazz number that sounds as crisp as a walk on leaves. The finale, "One More Step," is a campfire sing-along that could've been lifted directly from Fun's song catalog. It's a bit heady; at first the vocal harmonies and percussion sounds the same across the board, but then you start noticing the album's nuances, like the ones I've already pointed out, and you think, "Damn, Bell has this on lock."

Crisp production and engaging musical ideas make this album worth checking out, but the wild card is Bell's voice itself. It's not offensive or necessarily bad but it doesn't seem to work with the rest of the music. It has little range, and though youthful, also has trouble conveying some of the emotion the songs need to hit harder. Still, good ideas abound on Sirens, which, at the end of the day, is an album that shows a man exploring not only what he can offer the musical world, but also what the musical world can offer him.
Become A Fan
official website
0 Comments

Your comment will be posted after it is approved.


Leave a Reply.

       Critique/insight

    We are dedicated to informing the public about the different types of independent  music that is available for your listening pleasure as well as giving the artist a professional critique from a seasoned music geek. We critique a wide variety of niche genres like experimental, IDM, electronic, ambient, shoegaze and much more.

    Tweets by pitchperfect158
    Are you one of our faithful visitors who enjoys our website? Like us on Facebook


    Archives

    March 2023
    February 2023
    January 2023
    December 2022
    November 2022
    October 2022
    September 2022
    August 2022
    July 2022
    June 2022
    May 2022
    April 2022
    March 2022
    February 2022
    January 2022
    December 2021
    November 2021
    October 2021
    September 2021
    August 2021
    July 2021
    June 2021
    May 2021
    April 2021
    March 2021
    February 2021
    January 2021
    December 2020
    November 2020
    October 2020
    September 2020
    August 2020
    July 2020
    June 2020
    May 2020
    April 2020
    March 2020
    February 2020
    January 2020
    December 2019
    November 2019
    October 2019
    September 2019
    August 2019
    July 2019
    June 2019
    May 2019
    April 2019
    March 2019
    February 2019
    January 2019
    December 2018
    November 2018
    October 2018
    September 2018
    August 2018
    July 2018
    June 2018
    May 2018
    April 2018
    March 2018
    February 2018
    January 2018
    December 2017
    November 2017
    October 2017
    September 2017
    August 2017
    July 2017
    June 2017
    May 2017
    April 2017
    March 2017
    February 2017
    January 2017
    December 2016
    November 2016
    October 2016
    September 2016
    August 2016
    July 2016
    June 2016
    May 2016
    April 2016
    March 2016
    February 2016
    January 2016
    December 2015
    November 2015
    October 2015
    September 2015
    August 2015
    July 2015
    June 2015
    May 2015
    April 2015
    March 2015
    February 2015
    January 2015
    December 2014
    November 2014
    October 2014
    September 2014
    August 2014
    July 2014
    June 2014
    May 2014
    April 2014
    March 2014
    February 2014
    January 2014
    December 2013
    November 2013
    October 2013
    September 2013
    August 2013
    July 2013
    June 2013
    May 2013
    April 2013
    March 2013
    February 2013
    January 2013
    December 2012
    November 2012
    October 2012
    September 2012
    August 2012
    July 2012
    June 2012
    May 2012
    April 2012
    March 2012
    February 2012
    January 2012

Company

About
Contributors

Newsletter

Newsletter
© Pitch Perfect 2022. ALL RIGHTS RESERVED.
  • Pitch Perfect
  • Indie Music Album Reviews
  • About
  • Submissions
  • Top albums
  • Features
  • Contact