A Sliver Of Space
El Marko, 2024
9/10
The Cleveland husband and wife duo, Mr. Gnome, never disappoint, and this time their sonically exciting and artistic sounds explore electronica, desert rock, punk, indie rock and other ideas with much creativity.
“Nothing And Everything” gets the listen off to a radiant start, where the warm synth and pop melodies are met with Nicole Barille’s bright voice, and “Fader” follows with dense guitar and no lack of grit via the swirling rock.
Arriving in the middle is the intimate and heartfelt “Mind’s Gone”, while “The Importance Of Being Cool” offers a thumping and buzzing album highlight that straddles alt-rock and electro-pop with strong attention to detail.
Residing near the end is the animated and lush “The Other Side Of Nowhere”, where dynamic drumming sounds and expressive singing won’t go unnoticed, and the title track exits with both restraint and adventurousness via the soulful and powerful songwriting.
A thoughtful body of work that explores dreamy spaces amid life and death, consciousness and unconsciousness, Barille and drummer/pianist Sam Meister have been crafting a sound all their own since 2005, and this 6th record is among their best.
Travels well with: Mr. Gnome- The Day You Flew Away; M Wagner- We Could Stay