Red Night

The Hundred In The Hands

Warp Records, 2012

http://thehundredinthehands.com

REVIEW BY: Tom Haugen

ORIGINALLY PUBLISHED: 09/26/2012

These days, I tend to think of electronic bedroom style pop the same way I think of hipsters riding fixies and growing 'ironic' mustaches – if you've seen one, you've seen them all. Then I heard Brooklyn's The Hundred In The Hands. With their roots buried deep in indie rock, Eleanor Everdell and Jason Friedmen (formerly of The Boggs), aren't your garden-variety synth pop outfit. Instead, the pair plugs post-punk darkness and waves of dreamy, surreal melody into their sophomore album my_heart_sings_the_harmony_web_ad_alt_250 Red Night.

Starting off with “Empty Stations,” the duo builds up from a faint pulse into chilling strings and a thundering, pulsating blast of energy. They follow it up with “Recognise,” a more subdued track where Everdell repeats herself in a calm yet hypnotic fashion. The pair employ these kind of quick-paced anthems directly into quieter moments often here, with great results. “Faded” is one of the gentlest moments here, where Everdell discusses her broken heart and manages to make it seem as if she is talking directly to you. On the opposite end of the spectrum, you have “Lead In The Light” and “Tunnels,” both of which are louder and full of beautifully layered melodies. “Keep It Low” is one of the best pieces here, a perfectly crafted dream pop gem that soars with thumping beats.

Everdell's sultry, haunting vocals and Friedman's creative guitars and programming make this a darkly romantic listen with a lot of diversity. While at its core it's synth pop, the influences that seep in here are endless and the duo isnt afraid to experiment with their ideas. “Red Night” with its futuristic noise and “SF Summer,” which contains buried pianos, further exemplify this willingness to push their boundaries. While there is an abundance of similar bands out there right now, The Hundred In The Hands is among the best.

Rating: B+

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