Album Review: Omar Rodriguez-Lopez - Zen Thrills

Omar Rodriguez-Lopez's Zen Thrills dials between candid, ambient alt-pop, atmospheric instrumentals and dashes of cathartic meddling.

With a smooth production style and prominent vocal presence from collaborator Teri Suarez, the result is alluring and captivating from the melodic vocal repetition on opener Burning Those Bridges to the wickedly twisted crooning on Passions May Bluff. Zen Thrills takes a 'cyber-industrial' turn on the B-side with layered sequencing and pitch-distorted guitar squeals on Lounge For A Tongue. Less of an in-your-face exercise of virtuosic playing than on other solo records, the result is flavoursome. An authentically interesting listen.