Right from its first few seconds,
Let's Turn It into Sound immediately sounds like a bold new chapter in
Kaitlyn Aurelia Smith's discography. A twisted, kaleidoscopic sequence of mutated circus melodies and hammering kick drums introduces
Smith's vocals, which often make extreme leaps between notes. Flurries of percussive hits, bubbling synths, and woodwinds appear and disappear with no warning, and prickly beats sleepwalk into the faint saxophones that preface the next track. A far cry from the ambient pop of
The Kid or the balmy new age meditations of
Tides and
The Mosaic of Transformation,
Let's Turn It into Sound is a busy, colorful clash of hyperactive rhythms and crisscrossing vocals accurately described by its creator as "a puzzle." "Is It Me or Is It You?" begins with a more on-the-grid dance beat, which is overlaid with layers of vocals set at various pitches. After a few beatless passages,
Smith's distorted, sleepy-sounding vocals inquire if she's being seen, as a chunky techno beat churns away. Other pieces shuffle between semi-danceable rhythms, chirping electronics, and hypnotic vocal exercises. It's a dense, unpredictable work, yet it never feels overbearingly tense, as
Smith provides plenty of breathing room. When the beats do arrive, they're swift and propulsive, but like the rest of the sounds and textures, they're malleable and don't head in any one direction. "There Is Something" stretches its tempo up and down, and the beats will often shift abruptly into reverse. The brief conclusion "Give to the Water" is a spacy comedown, all billowing synths and extended vocal phrases.
Let's Turn It into Sound is a complex, angular construction, yet it's not a demanding, impenetrable work, as
Smith invites the listener to join her on a spirited, boundless journey. ~ Paul Simpson