Unveiled by a late-night glow, People Press Play's self-titled debut is soothing downtempo electronica that will put you to sleep whether you want it to or not. Lightly scattered beats and hazy synths provide the backdrop for singer Sara Savery's wafting vocals and combine to form the muzak for a modern hotel. This is the cure for über-modern insomnia.
The four musicians from Copenhagen create a cavernous, backlit atmosphere through various echoed, synthetic noises. Savery's voice adds to the appeal with surreal, breathy tones with a disconnected enchantment, as if she's in the room but hopelessly lost in the scene. "Always Wrong" creeps along a pattering beat while glitches, blips, and Savery's voice add to the low-key mystery. "That Walk" has a streetlight/urban sound wrapped in glassy effects. The mood on "Frail" is somber and difficult, while "Studio" twinkles with a xylophonic melody. Throughout the album, the heartrate never jumps or threatens a gallop, and stays mellow in a minimalist, Scandinavian setting.
The sharp edges on People Press Play, although they may be fragile, carve a space into ice that's both cold and reflective. They create a sensual relationship with the listener, and while the album plays slight tricks on the brain, it's deeply relaxing. The calm electronics are like wreckage of a evolved, modern party and builds a place where the night's victims can begin to recover.
