Under Review

Concord Drumm

Hotels (Independent)

Review by Ibrahim Itani

 
Allow yourself to be entranced by the dream-like ambiance of Concord Drumm’s first EP and I assure you, disappointment will not ensue. It’s a conglomeration of fluidity, bathed in reverbed vocals, synths, and moments of sporadic hip-hop. Emanating from the various hotel rooms in which the EP was produced in, each track personifies the ambiance of the city of its production. “Only three songs long” is a statement that doesn’t give justice to the lasting impression that this almost 13-minute arrangement of composed electronic music has on us.

A distinct murmur opens the EP, bringing to life a medley of reverbed vocals and synths in the opening track, “Alone.” Before you succumb to the soothing norm established by the track, the tempo hastens and a glimpse of hip-hop only to return to the calming lull that had initially mesmerized us. An upbeat arrangement of synths immediately sets the tone of the second track, “Run (Somebody).” At this point, our minds already in a daydream of ambient electronic music, we enjoy Chris Brewer’s mesmerizing vocals and lyricism that emphasize the heterogeneous nature of this mix. As the second track fades away, a mimicking undertone blends neatly behind the crescendo of a single sound. At its peak, however, our hearts empty like the sudden drop in the track, only to remerge with an indelible rhythm and entrancing vocals.

The Hotels EP mirrors the journey of a blissful hallucination, numbing the mind of worry and leading it on a wonderfully synthesized adventure.