Review Summary: Majestic As Fuck
This is not a Deftones album.
Indeed, the newest project from Chino Moreno, the man of a million projects, is arguably the furthest from the established Deftones sound he has gotten. Teaming up with long-time friends in Far guitarist Shaun Lopez and electronic artist Chuck Doom, the trio created Crosses around their love of witch house. The resulting self-titled debut (stylized as +++) is one of the most engrossing projects of Moreno's career and is an early contender for 2014 AOTY.
The opening track "This Is A Trick" immediately provides a glimpse of what is to come, as Moreno's clean vocals are laid down over a buzzing bass line and whirling sound effects. Lopez's guitar embeds itself into Doom's mix as the infectious chorus hits. Other tracks, like the marching "Telepathy" and "Thholyghst" rely on minimalist soundscapes to chilling effect. "Trophy" feels tailor-made for a relaxing day at the beach, complete with the sounds of seagulls in the background. In fact, "Trophy" could've fit well on the self-titled debut of Moreno's other notable supergroup, Palms.
If listeners are hoping to hear anything Deftones-ish, they'll be mostly disappointed. That segment of the listening audience will enjoy the *** out of the final parts of "Bitches Brew", where Moreno unleashes some primal screams over a bed of distorted guitars and heavy beats. "Bitches Brew" in itself is one of the more schizophrenic tracks on +++, with bubbling verses leading into an emotionally heavy chorus. It is one of the few songs here that sounds like something Deftones would've written, but even then it feels so different. Probably the song on +++ that comes the closest to being a lost Deftones track is the majestic "Frontiers." The opening verse is awesome, from the soft vocals to the snaking guitar line and glacial piano. All this leads into an incredible chorus that cements +++ as one of the best albums so far this year.
Everyone involved on +++ contributes brilliantly to the finished product. Moreno is on top form vocally and lyrically as usual, his vocals ranging from soft and soothing to the raging catharsis of "Bitches Brew". His lyrics remain cryptic, but meaning can be deduced from them upon closer examination. Shaun Lopez is wonderful guitar-wise on +++, as he carefully places every note and adds to the dark atmosphere. Chuck Doom goes mad in terms of sound effect, with audio samples on several tracks and wide-ranging effects everywhere, from the buzz-saw noises on "Blk Stallion" to the soothing piano on the haunting closer "Death Bell". +++ is the poster-child of three talented people coming together and creating something greater than the sum of it's parts.
+++ is technically a collection of the band's first two EPs and a previously unreleased third one, and thus does feels slightly too long. A couple tracks, like the instrumental "T" and "Prurient" could've been cut, but they are decent enough songs in their right. +++ overall is a great dark pop album, and a fascinating listen. Hopefully this is not the only Crosses album, as a group of talent like this is simply too good to only give the world a one-off collaboration. Anyone who loves ambient/electronic music will find something they like here, and thus makes +++ one of the best albums so far in 2014.
Highlights:
Bitches Brew
Death Bell
The Epilogue
Bermuda Locket
Frontiers
Option
Blk Stallion
