Shell is the debut EP from London quartet Ursa Minor (Little Bear) and follows on from the group’s debut single Droplet Affection, which
received praise from the likes of BBC 6Music and Clash magazine.
Offering listeners a selection of four completely new tracks and one
remix in the group’s noteworthy style, where dream-pop meets house
beats.
Ursa Minor describe themselves as “house-inspired glitter pop”, but
in reality their music is far more intelligent and subtle than this.
This is intelligent house, aesthetically orientated and charged, not
unintelligible, smashed-out house toonz. This is music for chill out
clubs or early morning after parties in Ibiza, and you are more likely
to see pictures of Damien Hirst’s work and nostalgic hipstermatic
pictures of old Korg synths rather than any endorsement from traditional
Clubland.
Each track on Shell offers a subtle fusion of house inspired beats
with low-key, tuned down, restrained and muted timbres. The interplay
between each timbre is sophisticated and diverse, with evident roots in
post dubstep, trip hop and IDM. Occasionally however, punchy, thick
synth timbres also occur, inducing a heavier, dancier vibe particularly
apparent on the track Ha!.
Vocals from front woman Little Bear occur on each track, heavily
saturated as they are with various effects, including reverb, chorus and
enveloping. Such effects make the already fairly soft and ethereal
vocals appear all the more haunting, so much so that at times the vocals
sound almost alien. Unfortunately, Little Bear’s vocal style – her
enunciation and expression is at times ever so slightly Eurotrash, which
does partially compromise the sophisticated instrumentation on each
track. This however is a minor issue – the voice is mostly quite lovely,
especially on Wild Flowers, where it sours delicately over saw toothed waves.
Shell is perhaps ultimately a mixed debut EP, with plenty of positive
attribute alongside a few minor issues. It is a good start, however,
and a sign of greater potential to come.
See this at MTTM at: http://www.morethanthemusic.co.uk/reviews/album-reviews/ursa-minor-shell-ep/
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