TANLINES

Mixed Emotions

2012-05-01

Jesse and Eric are two Brooklyn guys who started out doing remixes on a personal level and collaboration just grew from there. Jesse Cohen is formerly of the band Professor Murder. Eric Emm’s production studio crossed paths with Jesse and Tanlines evolved. Although the band name choice is unfortunate, Jesse and Eric try not to think about it too much. They like to create dance music that blur the lines between synthetic and organic sound. Mixed Emotions is their debut effort and so named as “happy sounding with melancholic lyrics.” Whether the music is from the push of a button or an instrument, the album has been crafted with care with an intuitive ability of what works. The first track, Brothers, follows a harmonized, lyrical path, layered expertly with synth and percussion bits and pieces. Tracks 2 All of Me and 8 Real Life resonate with that 80s dance sound with canned synthesizer and extended drum loops. I found Abby, Yes Way and Cactus to be uptempo, infectious tunes. And the last track, Nonesuch, is an unhurried, ambient ballad. Overall this album has a techno-pop feel to it due to the synthesizer play. Focus tracks are 1, 4 and 10. In the words of Eric Emm, “A good song transcends production trends.” Isn’t that what all musicians strive for? --Pam VandeKerkhoff