Review Summary: A cool, refreshing, and haunting album too sexy to deny.
Sleek, chilling sexiness through sound can be difficult to approach. It requires a special kind of sincerity, in which passiveness is used to emphasize the attractive mystery of the performer(s). Through Love in the Time of Science, Emiliana tremendously exercised said musical landscape while keeping the listener hooked. Her icy voice, ironically, evokes heaps of emotion and character. It is helped by the delivery she adopted on the album, which inflicts curiosity on the listener due to its enigmatically smooth feel. This can be seen on “Baby Blue,” a heart-wrenching tune with a theatrical chorus that is reminiscent of post punk. Even though she's a mostly dramatic vocalist, Emiliana also frequently proves to be a versatile one. The most remarkable instance of this is on “Unemployed in Summertime,” in which the singer uses the approach whimsically to create a casually cool tone instead of a serious, dark one.
To give the trip hop record life, a pop and alt rock-infused twist is implemented on it. Songs like “Easy” provide the coldness of trip hop but also implement various acoustic instruments, like the guitar, that texturize the electronic aspects. Emiliana also utilizes strings that come into full fruition on tracks like “Telepathy.” These elements are used to an astounding effect, building upon the atmosphere and songwriting around it. She even spiced up the songwriting itself by utilizing a Bossa Nova/Latin structure frequently, such as on the entirety of “Tuna Fish.”
Love in the Time of Science is an album essential for any fan of music. Emiliana’s performance, the varied instrumentation, and chilly, sensual feel of the music provide for an experience that can't quite be mimicked. Indeed, all needed is a listen to find out.
