Ubyk - Matryoshka
[Self Released]

The more attentive readers will recognize the name Alex Newport as the musician behind both Nailbomb and Fudge Tunnel or, indeed, as an in-demand producer for bands including The Mars Volta, The Melvins, Death Cab For Cutie and Sepultura. That being said, his presence in the production booth for Ubyk’s 'Matryoshka' certainly piques the interest.

Ubyk was founded by Russian-born musician Roman Bleum and is augmented by singer/songwriter Samantha Tobey. Taking their name from a Philip K Dick story, this Los Angeles based duo breeze through twenty minutes of whimsical, acoustic-guitar led sounds. There is a distinct focus on the syrupy vocal harmonies of Bleum and Topey, with the Floyd influenced 'Just Fine' the only solo track on offer.

'Work' is a fantastic piece, perfectly encapsulating the monotony and drudgery of a 9 ‘til 5. We all know the feeling, the sheer dread of having to get up early in the morning for work to spend several hours a day performing mind-numbing tasks, when you wish you could be somewhere else. Bleum’s lethargic, yearning vocal delivery is contrasted by a guitar progression that flows at the tempo of a paymaster’s whip – you cannot help but feel for him – while Topey’s complimentary tones float around like the mundane thoughts that pass through your head during a dull Monday morning at work. Like a modern day take on the early blues tracks written in the cotton fields of America, the panning alarm clock shrill, panting breaths and tired ‘work’ monologue in the background is an inventive touch and perhaps the influence of Newport?.

Both 'Merry Go Round' and 'Delicate Swarm', meanwhile, again display the vibrant interplay between Topey and Bleum as they segue from psychedelic-tinged passages, think 60’s Canterbury, into theatrical Cirque Du Soleil endings, via nostalgic choruses that strongly recall something along the lines of The Mamas and Papas.

It is an engaging listen throughout; the music is vaguely familiar yet, at the same time, other-worldly. This duo take commonly used tools, namely the acoustic guitar, some sprinklings of spacey synths and their harmonious vocals, and meld them into to a sound that is distinctively their own. A commendable achievement for sure, especially when acoustic troubadour’s are ten-a-penny and can be found nightly in every venue around the globe. Ubyk set themselves apart with their love of psychedelic song-structures and off-kilter, unusual melodies. Superstar producer or not, 'Matryoshka' is still sublime stuff.