Comprised of two former members of the Nightblooms holed up at home with their instruments and an ADAT, Safe Home sound like some odd but appealing amalgamation of electronic minimalist baroque folk-pop for shoegazers. Or at least that's what comes to mind after giving their first full-length album, You Can't Undo What's Already Undid, a spin; Esther Sprikkelman's ethereal and airy vocals ride over the top of the spectral, bare-bones melodies created by Sprikkelman and Harry Otten, which are mostly built from suspended keyboard patches, electronic loops, and subdued acoustic and clean electric guitars (with the sharp tone of a distorted electric adding the occasional bit of punctuation). Sprikkelman's impressionistic lyrics are as much about mood as they are about literal meaning (especially given her breathy vocal style, which gives sound and feeling and edge over enunciation), but they certainly communicate well enough, and it's hard to argue with the shimmering beauty of the final product. You Can't Undo What's Already Undid is hardly recommended for long drives late at night, but anyone looking for a quality smart pop chillout would be well-advised to put Safe Home on their shopping list.
© Mark Deming /TiVo