Review: Days Gone By Exceeds Expectations
Days Gone By. Bob Moses.
Chilling, brooding, powerful, Bob Moses‘ much anticipated second album Days Gone By not only reaches expectations, but far exceeds them through their unique liminality between electronica, house and a little bit of pop hidden within the cracks.
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I first stumbled on upon Vancouver born, Brooklyn-based electronica duo, Bob Moses at this year’s Osheaga Festival. Tired and reveling in the afterglow of Glass Animal’s performance, I caught myself wandering the festival and happened to hear Tom Howie and Jimmy Vallance’s DJ session as I passed by. Following NTO’s performance at the Piknik Electronic stage, I was both surprised and pleased with how easy-going this type of electronic dance music was; it was (comparably) light, fun yet profound, and catchy enough to sway around and tap my feet to. Usually when I think of EDM, I think mind-numbing dubsteb or 20 minute-long trance tracks, which isn’t exactly my cup of tea. Instead Bob Moses captures the sound waves that are hallmarks of electronica and offer them in soothing and refreshing grooves guided by hazy vocals, consequently rendering the album rather synonymous with a somewhat more organic vibe than what the genre is used to.
Interestingly enough, and with little surprise, all the samples the DJ duo uses for their songs are original recordings which of course only adds to their chilling prowess. Being their first album following their debut, All in All, which was also released at the beginning of 2015, it wouldn’t be an overstatement if I were to say they show a lot of dedication and therefore foreshadow the amplitude of the success to come.
Overall the album paradoxically achieves a certain chillness, very relaxed and laid back when kept on low volume, unless it’s cranked up, then it morphs into something a lot more wild and filled with vitality. Not only that, but the lyricism also adds to the experience that is Days Gone By. One of the best tracks on the album IMO, ‘Tearing Me Up’ seems to be a narrative that follows the singer’s experiences with falling for a girl already in a relationship, delving into the neglect he experiences without being able to calm his overwhelming feelings for her. The album as a whole seems to delve into profundity itself, investigating personal issues and social situations that go beyond ‘getting turnt at da club’.
Days Gone By is expected to be released Sept. 18th, 2015. Bob Moses plays The Fairmount on October 4. 8:30 p.m. $22
