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After enjoying Astromill's eponymous debut, released on Ninthwave, I was pleased to see she'd been snapped up by the international Wisdomcore label for this follow-up. Reading between the lines it seems as if the 'anything goes' ethic that is at the heart of Wisdomcore's activities has given Sheryl McMillan the freedom to totally indulge her musical ambitions, going far beyond the essentially traditional synthpop realms of her debut without losing that appealing accessability. Thus this album takes her music several stages onwards with more inventive use of sound, particularly with regard to the use of computerised/effected voices where an ever-changing pallette of effects compliment the adventurous spirit that is so important to this album, starting with the opening "No Promises", where the whistful voice proves she's able even to give computers emotions, making this music for the heart as well as the mind & while the obviously female voice of "All The Same" has a greater human element to its credit the best results occur when the two are combined, as proven by the quite superb "Control-Alt-Delete" which initially impresses through some fine synthleads while the effected voice, which sees Sheryl again using technological jargon as a metaphor for human feelings (sex in this case) are unlike anything you've ever heard before although the track is taken to still higher plains as her unadulterated voice takes over in unison with an additional rhythmic which contributes towards a rich, full-sounding latter half that is quite superb.
There are a number of musical similarities on show here, not least 1990s Kraftwerk, which I was reminded of more than once, thanks to the sequencing on such tracks as the infectious closer "All Been Done Before" & "Spin Cycle", where the ethnic voice samples a la Astralasia etc hammer home the 90s vibe still further (the cover art harks towards this era, too!). Likewise the instrumental "Ice Station Zebra" should appeal to all fans of Tangerine Dream & the like while the brass band sounds that give "Cold In The Middle" its almost quaint feel are reminiscent of The Beatles cira Sergeant Pepper .For all these (probably totally unintentional) similarities, though, it's Sheryl's unique approach to music making that, above all else, makes her music the constantly surprising & refreshing experience that it is & it's to be hoped that promoters & compilation compilers in the UK recognise this major musical talent & give her the expsoure she deserves. For now, though, make this fine album a priority purchase & don't forget to check out her debut while you're at it! |
