Customer Reviews

Pacific Drift

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4 star:		(3)
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Anything that opens with twangy electronic swooshes is either going to be deeply annoying or weirdly charming. Fortunately Nobody's "Pacific Drift: Western Water Music 1" manages to be the latter -- once the twangs die away, what is left is an album of sweet, sunny electronica with a watery edge.

After the deeply irritating "Coming Up To the Surface," the album evens out into a sweep of airy, slow-flowing electronic ditties. Some -- like "Porpoise Song" -- border on ambient music, with their aimless tunes and calculated lack of momentum. These tend to feel like filler, as they never quite move one way or the other.

But there are also plenty of stirring pop ditties, like the warmly catchy "After the Summmer Hits," or the chirrupy springtime tune "Images of April." In the last quarter of the album, a slightly darker tone comes into the songs, with quiet intonations of "I won't hurt you...," solemn organ and razor-edged keyboard work.

"Pacific Drift" feels a bit like lying on a beach, on a slightly cloudy day in summer. Rather than the hip-hop of his previous album, Nobody strays into psychedelica here -- sort of the love child of DJ Shadow and the Beach Boys. It's also backed by Jimmy Tamborello of Dntel and the Postal Service, Ikey Owens of the Mars Volta, two members of Beachwood Sparks. Hello, indie superalbum.

Atmosphere is everything in "Pacific Drift," which took four years to craft and perfect. Bird samples are pasted in, and despite a few odd "Interludes" (is that an engine or a cricket?) the feeling that comes out of almost every song is one of magic.

Nobody is otherwise known as Elvin Estela, and his psych-sampling is absolutely exquisite here: melodic one moment, ambient the next, and sparkling after that. He missteps with the programming here and there -- "Headspace" starts off with a burst of sonic burps -- yet when he does it right, the exquisite fragility of his music is unparalleled.

Enchanting and beautiful, "Pacific Drift: Western Water Music 1" overflows with sunshine and sixties psychedelica, laced with a bit of fragile prettiness. Definitely one to get.

This CD could've only been made by someone who has soaked-up the rays of the tropical sun and the warmth of the California coast. Such is the case of Nobody, aka, Elvin Estela, vinyl junkie and turntablist extraordinaire. 'Pacific Drift' is an electronica kaleidoscope, combining the playful experimentalism of Manitoba with the sunny vibes of The High Llamas or Pet Sounds era Beach Boys. Underneath the candy-coated exterior is Estela's brilliant array of sampling and mixing of 70's vinyl. The sound is minimalistic and less dense than most electronica, but the tradeoff is exceptional depth, mood, and creativity. This could pass for Lemon Jelly's psychadelic cousin, capturing the sunny mood of 70's pop, eg, The Carpenters, combined with tiny electronic strands of Mouse On Mars. The title is aptly named. Pacific Drift is just that, ear candy that leaves you with an audio-fix of sea swept breezes...vibrant, exhilerating, and bursting with colors. One of my favorite releases of 2003.

Whereas Nobody's debut, SOULMATES, reveled in darker sounds, his second album, PACIFIC DRIFT, shows an expansion and evolution in his range. The sound this time out is closer to West Coast psychedelia, rather than moody trip-hop. "White Folding Slowly" ..., "The Beaches of Neptune" has a sing-song melody that's almost catchy. That impression is cemented by "Porpoise Song," an electric hippie love-in. So, yeah, it's good. It's what the Future Sound of London's THE ISNESS should have been. A note of pastoralism also creeps in to "After the Summer Hits" but is firmly grounded in the definitive rhythm. Same goes for the irrepressibly sunny "Psilo-Cycling." The vocals here aim more towards the indie-rock kids, but that's a step-up from the OK-but-not-great MCs on his first album. The electro buzz of "Headspace" clears room for the lo-fi sonics of "I Won't Hurt You." With a drift like this, you'll never want to be found.

Nobody has made a sonic leap from already stunning territory. Where Soulmates shook the ground with dusky hip hop Pacific Drift shimmers in psychedelic haze. The guest vocalists bow to the psych songwriters who came before while adding the touches of their blossoming musical movements. Pacific Drift floats and bumps in beautiful unison. It encircles ears with warm waves. Nobody's music glows with the beauty of mysterious soul.

I bought Nobodys first album and liked it enough to look fwd to a second installation. I wasn't prepared for "Pacific Drift", it's easily going to be up there with my 5 favorite albums of the year. Nobody's blend of psychedelic influences (suprisingly for a young producer there are covers of The Zombies, The Monkees, Pearls Before Swine, The West Coast Pop Art Band) with West Coast hip hop beats is really unique. Very cinematic and very dreamy but there is virtually no fluff. I can see why people have made the influence-connection with this new CD and classic dreamy California pop bands like The Byrds and The Beach Boys. I'm a big fan of Postal Service and was blown away when I heard Jimmy Tamborello was going to sing on Nobodys album, what a great combo. The album also includes members of Beachwood Sparks, Dntel and a keyboard player from Mars Volta...more of my favorites all in one place - but with a definite new twist.