Album Review: Exitmusic - Passage

Brooklyn-based duo Exitmusic have a lot more in common than just their marriage. Their debut album proves this, charting Aleksa Palladino and Devon Church's electricity as musicians, along with collaborators Dru Prentiss (drums) and electronic composer Nicholas Shelestak.

Passage is a mix of new material, combined with tracks first recorded in the duo's home studio. Building upon sparser arrangements, the band showcase a vast but nuanced sound, symphonically arranged to swell to dizzying heights. These melodic tidal waves are aided by the undercurrent of electronic arrangements that pulse and beckon you through the song, demonstrated through opening and title track Passage. Overlayed with looming percussion and the agonisingly beautiful vocals by Palladino, the track opens from soft piano to a bloom of sound, hinted at from the beginning. Vocally, Palladino exerts great control; her wailing and moaning are interspersed by bouts of well crafted but minimal lyrics that demonstrate an infectious raw energy. Elsewhere, this is heard in Storms, where the band tone down the overwhelming amount of sound, allowing her vocals to weave between the layers of sound, rather than fight for the spotlight. The instrumental breakdown of sullen drums and ambient, sustained notes allow for a quiet reflection, dissolving to leave the listener pensive, before we're brought to The Wanting, another churning, tremulous arrangement. The disorientating echoes in Stars are an interesting addition to the record, particularly when released from its ethereal, wandering sound to become increasingly heavy and distorted; while the faster-tempo of The Modern Age interrupts the density and stasis of the album, giving Exitmusic's debut an unexpected but welcome dimension.

The dense and eclectic arrangements of Passage are beyond expectation, as Exitmusic deliver an unforgettable, soaring debut, proving just what they're capable of.