Self-proclaimed
ex-goth Clare Boucher, better known as producer and singer-songwriter Grimes,
(or not, if you are a Tumblr user, as the ‘Grimes’ tag is inundated with
irritable Jedward paraphernalia) is an intriguing character.For a start she owns neither a phone nor an
iPod, which in this day and age is probably grounds for institutionalisation.Boasting an assortment of influences, which
includes everyone from Beyoncé to Black Dice (QRO photos), Boucher herself is genre defying.Her music is an amalgamation of witch-house
pop, psychedelic rave and atmospheric bass, but is simultaneously none of the
above.Intrigued yet?
Visions is Grimes' fourth release in less than two
years, having previously released two free LPs and a joint EP with fellow
Montrealer D'Eon.For those of you who
believe in quality over quantity, don't let that put you off; her prolific
output has by no means hindered this album.Her first release since being signed to record label 4AD at the
beginning of this year, Visions is a creative
cacophony of sound that perfectly captures Grimes' evolution since her initial
break in early 2010.Visual impact is an
important aspect of this album, not just in its title, but also in its ethos:
Boucher has declared that each track will have its own music video, one that
she envisioned in each track's creative process.
The tracks themselves
are dark, but uplifting at the same time."Genesis" sounds like a result of leaving Enya in a recording studio
with nothing but a drum machine, a keyboard, and a tab of LSD: a tripping eruption
of synth and incomprehensible lyrics.The
album encompasses a diversity of sound, an ethereal journey which varies
between tracks such as "Eight", 108 seconds of a heavy Germanic sounding reverb
loop, to "Skin", a six-minute seduction of downtempo, sultry goodness.Boucher's haunting falsetto often sounds like
a chorus of children, a stunning sound that although is not powerful, is not drowned
out by the production.Instead, it
supports her vocal, a harmony that no doubt has come from Grimes producing,
writing and singing all the tracks herself.Visions is a mystical
experience, an album that should be listened from start to finish without pause,
a snapshot of the workings of Boucher's brilliantly creative mind that certainly
has so much more waiting to burst from it.
Click here for photos of Grimes at 2012 Savannah Stopover in Savannah, GA in the QRO Concert Photo Gallery
Fueled with Voodoo Doughnuts, Alcoholic Faith Mission
delivered to a rockin' crowd in Portland.
Those lucky enough to
enter the House of Blues Boston took a spacey journey
that felt like one long dream starting with opening act I Break Horses.
The student-filled O2 Academy in Manchester started heaving
forward the instant the visual art showed "The Cribs" on the backdrop.
