PillowTalk
'Je Ne Sais Quoi'
[Wolf + Lamb]
PillowTalk’s new album, 'Je Ne Sais Quoi,' has a little bit of everything, and if you’re not already familiar the San Francisco-based trio, then you’re in for a bit of a surprise if you were expecting some garden variety house music. Right from the get go, PillowTalk makes it clear they’re not very interested in being predictable, and have instead focused all their efforts on making music that will win you over with its originality and finesse. “We All Have Rhythm” is the first full-length track on the list, and it’s a clever blend of house music and funk. The vocals are straight forward and devoid of any thick filters or reverb. This makes the track feel much more intimate than your average dance offering, and it’s a welcome break from convention if you’re getting a little tired of the overwrought vocal samples that many other house producers use. The next song on the lineup is “Devil’s Run,” and it is absolutely beautiful. Nothing about the instrumentation is particularly electronic, but the band uses some of the same composition techniques popular when producing electronic music and this blend of styles and sounds makes for a near effortless listening experience.
As you work your way through the rest of the project, you’ll notice almost all of the tracks follow this same method of mixing the vintage with the modern. The proportions of each vary from song to song, but for the most part, this very effective recipe is put to good use on each track. Tracks like “If I Try” and “Naive” are perfect examples of what PillowTalk can accomplish with synth heavy compositions, and their uncanny knack for putting together beats that sound both refined and catchy is unmatched. This is one of those albums that’s best enjoyed in one sitting, but that being said, there are definitively a few more standouts which you should take note of if you don’t have time to soak up this work of art all at once. “Meet Me in the Dark” has a shadowy quality to it that sucks you in right away, and the piano chords that proceed the vocals are a powerful way to get your attention before PillowTalk finally launches into the body of the song, which unsurprisingly, is every bit the slow jam you were hoping it was going to be. “LA to the Bay” is another one to look out for, and it has a very distinct jazz flavor to it that really sets it apart from the rest of the lineup.
The last track on 'Je Ne Sais Quoi,'“The Outcast,” is an acoustic track that opens up with a guitar melody, and then transitions into a bare-bones chorus that’s equal parts folk and indie. Despite the album’s eclectic nature, this one is still a bit of a departure stylistically, but it’s the perfect way to wrap things up, and just goes to show that PillowTalk isn’t going to get pigeon holed into one genre. It’s got an amazing sound, and will have you ready to cycle through the album again as soon as it’s over. These guys have put out some great music in the past, but this latest release just set the bar a lot higher.
Listen to PillowTalk on Pulse Radio