Rusty Santos - The Heavens
[UUAR]

Rusty Santos gets around, not only is he a solo songwriter, but he also performs live with Panda Bear (as a band named Together) at fashion shows, as well as helping to record the latest Animal Collective album, 'Sung Tongs', and their new collaboration EP with Vashti Bunyan, due out sometime this year.

It's obvious from the opening track that Santos works somewhat close to the Animal Collective, as 'The Heavens' equally shares 'Sung Tongs' excellent ability to combine "real" well-written acoustic tracks, with experimental production, percussion, drawn-out rhythmic patterns and their known use of off-key vocals. But Santos' most appealing feature, is his ability to use both the traditional method of song-writing with his own fetish for studio manipulation and recording techniques, without appearing to be obviously 'lo-fi'. There are parts of ambience ('Villains'), potential radio airplay singles ('Moving Time' and 'Down By The Lake') and then downright weirdness (In 'Alms' and 'It's'). But, through all his favoured methods, 'The Heavens' stays instantly accessible from the intro to the finale - a rarity for musicians who have a habit for trying to attempt to hit upon something "new".

'The Heavens' is a future pop record, thrusting Neil Young, Eno and Jim O' Rourke into the current sonic New York sound scene and painting it with his own, distinct personality. It's as remarkable as anything else he's worked on, what an exciting and elegant solo album.

8/10