Review Summary: Frutiger Aero pop is a needle of nostalgia.
After was once described as "
Massive Attack meets
Michelle Branch." They self-describe as "trip pop." Truthfully... Nothing could be more accurate a description of what is presented on their debut self-titled EP.
After EP is dripping with personality, atmosphere, nostalgia, passion, swagger, and that water in the Frutiger Aero images. It's luxurious. That this is an indie band on their debut EP makes little sense to me, given how pristine the music sounds. "300 Dreams" opens the project with a bubbly and bouncy beat that sounds like it could be a sample from a computer program circa 2005. The synths have a vintage technological timbre that is unmistakable. The chorus melody is one of the best hooks I've ever heard, and Justine Dorsey is an angel.
Graham Epstein is a master of creating instrumentals in this style. His production on "Ever" preys on the melancholy of nostalgia to deliver a booming and eerie track about forbidden love. On "Lichen," he has crafted a playful beat in which a reverb-soaked guitar invokes the hopelessness of a toxic situation as the lyrics liken lichen -- (heh) -- growing on fungus to the toxic relationship they are in. This track holds the only small gripe I have with this record: I am not a fan of Epstein's voice. The vibe I get from it is that of an emo rapper, which is off-putting. But Dorsey's part (..."again... again... again...") is intoxicatingly transcendent.
On a much lighter note, "Obvious" is a straightforward guitar-driven pop rock tune a la Miss Branch, where the lyrics describe feeling hopelessly in love but not really caring about anything else. It's a very head-in-the-clouds vibe that fits perfectly in that "Frutiger Aero" aesthetic.
To end the
After EP, Nothingmore is a brooding track that utilizes airy synths underneath driving drums and warbly, distorted bass. Dorsey's voice shines in the upper register due to the downtrodden mood of the instrumental. She sounds heavenly, and the melodies are ethereal. Once it is over, you're easily ready to spin the whole thing again. I want nothing more.
