With
Night Safari,
Andrea Mangia returns to the
Populous moniker after spending several years working with Life & Limb, a collaboration with singer/songwriter
Mike McGuire (who also worked with
Mangia on
Populous' last album, the excellent shoegaze-meets-synth pop fusion
Drawn in Basic). While
Night Safari is very different from its predecessor, similarities can be heard in the creative layers and juxtapositions of sound
Mangia uses to create the globally minded fantasias and secret adventures the album's title suggests. "Night Safari"'s mix of atmospheric field recordings and slinky electronics defines the album's seductively surreal aesthetic. It's an approach that remains striking even on subtler tracks like "Brighton Pier," where swelling synths mimic lapping waves under samples of crying gulls and a soft atmosphere that captures the depth of shore-side sounds. Adding to
Night Safari's expansive feel is the host of collaborators
Mangia brings aboard. These include Afro-future artist
DJ Khalab and Clap! Clap!, whose contributions make the album reminiscent of a less hyperactive version of
Débruit's inspired mix of global sounds and electronics. "Agadez" nods to West African music in its sinuous melody and bustling percussion, while "Water Temple" and "Quad Boogie" (a collaboration with
Digi G'Alessio) combine traditional chanting with neon synths. Meanwhile, "Fall," which features whispery, ecstatic vocals from Japanese singer/songwriter
Cuushe, proves that
Mangia's flair for deceptively sugary pop hasn't been lost in translation. However,
Mangia transforms the wistful simplicity of
Drawn in Basic's pop into more ambiguous songs with plenty of contrasts. For every sensual reverie like "Honey" or "Brasilia," a collaboration with
Giorgio Tuma that sounds like a memory of Carnaval, there's a song like "Vu," where the combination of African chanting and somber piano strikes an unusual, unsettled mood. Moments like this may make
Night Safari slightly less immediate than
Drawn in Basic, but in the context of
Populous' discography -- and in its own right -- it's a worthwhile journey.