(Preservation)

San Franciscan makes with the pretty beats

From Here To There is Ben Swire’s worthy contribution to the realm of lush, subtle electronica. Opening track Propel passes by without incident, suggesting what might be a thoroughly pleasant but perhaps unengaging affair. But then there’s the charmingly insistent twang of Passing Through, the sound of water blended with effervescent percussion bringing The Books to mind. Thankfully it’s this trend that more often occurs on From Here To There, and though Swire is clearly oriented towards minimalism, his arrangements are laden with warmth and density. A particular strength of this album is the balance of live instrumentation with electronic. It would be easy to be overbearing with one element and neglect the other, and though electronica is still the foundation of this record it’s the double bass in And There that brings it to life. The percussion is intricately detailed and surprisingly organic. On tracks like That One Last Thing it feels like you need an aural microscope to hear all of the tiny interlocking beats and clicks properly. Thoroughly pleasant, yes, but definitely engaging as well.

MICHAEL PINCOTT

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