IamIs - "Trance Inducer"
(Self-Released 2010)
IamIs - "Trance Inducer"
(Self-Released 2010)
From Aural Innovations #42 (May 2011)
Jason Cox and Shawna Dellecave are the duo from Louisville, KY that is IamIs, and they've coined themselves "existential pop-rock", for which I am grateful, as it saves me from having to come up with something. But I can say that this is a neat DIY packaging presentation and self-released affair, and the music... is really neat, too! Most of it anyway. After the cool psychedelic intro of "I'm Out By the Pool pt. 1" there is a stellar song called "This Life", and Shawna's vocal here is just fucking sublime! Such raw and soulful feeling. Electric piano and organ drive the music more than guitar on much of the album. "Going Out to Sea" is a short and playful ditty followed closely by the guitar crunch of "Pretty Noises, Pretty Voices", and here Jason's vocal reminds me of the jaunty British '60s pop-psyche. Nice croon from Shawna on "With Great Courage", and on "One Trillion Blessings" as well, the latter being very dramatic, almost ominous. "Dear Daniel #4: The Afflicted Person" is another stand-out song; mellow, sad, soulful. She's got quite the voice. "Fish Song" is a happy old-time country crooner. Shawna might get a little too carried away on "The Softness", at least until she softens her own voice... it is a good contrast. Another fave is the penultimate track "Dusty Coasts", nice wistful vocal from Jason, and a beautiful fade-out... and back into the closing cut "I'm Out By the Pool pt. 2", a really pretty acoustic piece. This is a fine batch of tunes. And that is all that I can (or should) say about this album.
For more info, visit: http://www.iamis.net and http://www.myspace.com/iamis
Reviewed by Chuck Rosenberg