Daniel Davies' first solo album for Sacred Bones isn't a film soundtrack, real or imaginary, but it was composed with the visual art of Jesse Draxler in mind. His work is featured in the album's liner notes, and the pieces consist of dark, grainy landscapes with strange sculptural shapes superimposed onto them. They look obviously unnatural and pasted on, even to the point of seeming like an interruption, yet there's something about them that commands you to think that their presence is normal and expected. Davies' music attempts to work similar contrasts, forcing different moods and tones to coexist and somehow sound made for each other. It's not as jarring or discordant as that sounds -- there's lighter and darker elements, and there always seems like a balance between them. "Possessor" is one of the clearest examples of a track that goes in a different direction than expected, as it begins with sluggish beats and ominous pianos, then manages to brighten up with shimmering arpeggios and a hopeful melody. "Destructive Field" features Davies' godfather and regular collaborator, John Carpenter, and it's easily one of the album's eeriest pieces, particularly due to the bassoon part and a recurring noise that sounds like a slowed-down, ghostly voice. "Phantom Waltz" is spooky and also a bit playful, with staccato vocals dancing around harpsichords and circular guitar flickerings, anchored by steady waltz-time drums. Like Davies' previous studio album, Events Score, Signals is suspenseful without leading to an attack, and since the composer isn't tailoring his work to sync with an actual film script, he's free to explore certain moods as he sees fit. While the individual pieces do progress enough to evoke a sequence of imagery in the listener's mind, they also function as aural paintings, just as they're intended.
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