Nedry’s debut mini-album
Condors presents the band as a fascinating mishmash of sounds and ideas that shouldn’t go together as well as they do here. Wobbling, sinister basslines straight out of dubstep mingle with guitars that chime like post-rock or have a surprising rock crunch; live drums jostle against programmed ones; and Ayu Okakita’s keening voice floats on top of it all with a delicacy and urgency that recalls
Björk. The Icelandic singer isn’t the only artist listeners will be reminded of while listening to
Condors --
Goldfrapp,
Burial, and especially
Portishead are clear influences on
Nedry’s sound. That doesn’t make these songs any less interesting, however, and the album’s best moments show that the band is doing something of its own. “A42” gets
Condors off to a striking start with a seamless blend of rapid-fire beats, stuttering bass, and Okakita’s layered vocals. It sounds modern, mysterious, and unexpected, a feeling that extends to nearly every track here. Staticky textures and that adventurous bass sound elevate “Apples & Pears” beyond your average trip-hop ballad, and “Squid Cat Battle” swells into urgent electro-rock, with Okakita’s doubled singing sounding like twins arguing in a language of their own. “Condors” begins as straightforward rock before sliding into something more exotic and dubby, showing just how willing the band is to experiment from song to song and within the confines of one track. At times, this leads to
Nedry losing focus -- but that’s a small problem compared to the potential they show.
Condors is an impressive mini-debut that’s just long enough to show what the band can do, and suggest that they’re well on the way to making all of their ideas gel into a cohesive whole. ~ Heather Phares