REVIEW: Baxter, Baxter (Maverick)
- Tim Mohr
Baxter's individual members come from very different backgrounds, the combination of which on their debut album works extremely well. The most important components are the dub and jungle stylings brought to the project by Ricky Tillblad, and the song- and lyric-writing of Nina Ramsby, who honed her skills at the helm of the Swedish indie outfit, Salt. The result is ambient drum and bass with an atmosphere that would feel at home on 4AD records.
What makes the record enjoyable is the way Baxter avoid most of the trappings of the various styles: drum and bass usually comes in one of two formats--the instrumental variety of, for instance, DJ Krust, or the house-inflected stylings of people like Alex Reece or Goldie. Baxter take their cue from the more minimalist instrumental school but add vocals. And likewise, the vocals--with their morose quality and thoughtful lyrics--lean towards the trip-hop of Portishead or Lamb, but the musical backdrop is more lively and less self-consciously melodramatic.
There are some particularly interesting moments: On "So Much I've Heard," Baxter loop a dusty guitar sample in Tricky's signature style, but then add frantic, crashing drum and bass percussions to the track. Some of the pieces have the haunted dancehall feel of Witchman, with a dark, spooky piano line looped over sinister snares. "Possible" takes something of this approach, then adds horns--mirroring another common drum and bass technique, the jazzy sample--to create what might be mistaken for a top-drawer re-mix of Portishead.
Sometimes the mix is less effective: "All Of My Pride" could be a Sade remix, what with the lyrical tone and the muted trumpet line.
Baxter make a good case for the genre cross-pollenization that they attempt. Tracks such as "So Much I've Heard" should make believers of people who like all manner of beatz, and particularly those who already seek out similar projects -- The Aloof come to mind with their organic, dub-heavy, vocal excursions.
