TOMORA

[Ben_j]

And talking about the japanese bonustrack: Where can one listen to it? 

In Japan, duh !

[Wolkenkrabber]

Well it's Friday in Europe so the album is officially out. Some thoughts on each track.

1) Please:
daft wonky-vocaled 30 second intro. Meh.

2) Come Closer:
I think I previously suggested there was a celtic Enya type influence in the vocal, and since then I see that Aurora has mentioned that she had lots of Enya in her phone, so maybe I was right! And yes it still sounds like I Break Horses too. This track sucks me in and makes me feel cocooned or enveloped inside somethng new and intriguing. It's also a little bit scandanavian. This is the true start to the album. "Please" wasn't needed.

3) A Boy Like You:
Deceptive rising intro. Then it's quirky "Chems" like A Taste of Honey (the groove) or Fountains. A sort of slow-but-sexy kinda thing. I think Aurora's vocal has been pitched down, so it doesn't really sound like Aurora at all. Gnarly synths underneath add some grit. Playful; may be a grower.

4) Ring The Alarm:
The one we thought was new Chems from their DJ sets. It's perhaps a bit too sweet to be a classic Chems track, but it's a fun little slice of hyper dance-pop.

5) My Baby:
The opening lyrics surely inspired by Nina Simone's "My Baby Just Cares For Me". I'm sure Tom knows that one, even if Aurora's music library might have its limits (according to her own interviews).
A deep almost dubstep-y bass hum on this one. It skips along, quietly melodic almost like a quieter, pop-y moment from a New Skool Breaks or a Magnetic Man album.
If that is an IBIA sample, it's a small one - a sort or backmasked clap or percussion noise. Good to see @ThePumisher keeping his ears open, but don't get excited for a big Chems hit.

6) Have You Seen Me Dance Alone?
What in the Ace Of Bass is this? Psuedo reggae? Digital Dancehall with a white pop vocal?
Eurovsion goes to Jamaica?
All That She Wants Is Another Baby. Sort of.
Quirky.

7) Somewhere Else:
The "da da da" bits get a bit annoying after a while TBQHWY.
I do like the bass on this one - especially in the final minute. It's ok but not as amazing as I hoped for when we first heard a clip from Tom's Glasto '25 DJ set.

8/ I Drink The Light
The opening arpeggio looping and cascading reminds me of Sabres' "Chapel Street Market 9am".
The bass coming in under the first verse is perfect. Then the drop or full 'kick off' at 1:14 -perfect.
The repeated "wanted to feel" vocal at 2:14 goes on too long for me. And alas, the album version never takes off like the live version.
Where's all the skittering playfulness we heard in that Manchester live recording? The album version feels empty and boring in comparison. There was a bit in the live version that reminded me of S2A, but not here. It's still a cool, propulsive groove thing, but the live version is better.

9) Wavelenghts
Almost feels like an Alison Krauss folk/americana song to start off with. Then it gets more whimsical. Aurora sings "sail away" and I wonder if that Enya influence is coming into play (Orinoco Flow famously has "sail away, sail away" lyrics). It's fine but I've forgotten it already.
BTW: Why have they deliberately mis-spelled the title?

10) Side By Side
A slow-ish one. It's pop with a hint of Lana del Rey and country and Kate Bush maybe?

11) The Thing
It still sounds like Massive Attack meets Sigur Ros, and it's still pretty darn good.

12) In A Minute
Bonkers vocal editing. Japanese style dance pop meets uh...I dunno. It's kinda playful and frantic and fast, and I have no idea how to truly convey the sound of this one to someone who hasn't heard it. But it seems fun.
EDIT: How about: Tom wanted to make a Tomora Battle Weapon, so he did and he got Aurora to do some repetitive vocals telling us "Don't you forget about it".

And that's it. Aurora and Tom let loose and have fun. Sometimes it works, sometimes it doesn't.
Will it fully satisfy Aurora fans or Chems fans? I doubt it, but there is some fun to be had here. Yes, I've said 'fun' a lot.

PS The Irish Times review of the album also mentions Aurora praising Enya in a previous interview. You can read it here or here