Chrystabell & David Lynch – Cellophane Memories (2024)

Review:
Even if you’ve never listened to a second of David Lynch’s non-soundtrack discography, if you’ve seen his films, you probably know what to expect. Though the American director wasn’t the lead composer on Twin Peaks, that show’s score nonetheless functions as a baseline expectation for his music, especially when it comes to his work with Chrystabell. Between a couple collaborative projects and her role in Twin Peaks: The Return, the two ride a similar, Black Lodge-inspired wavelength that brings the best out of each other. But their latest collaboration, Cellophane Memories, pushes the duo’s experimentation to new, occasionally divisive, bounds. Cellophane Memories is defined by two factors: the familiar, nostalgic production of Lynch and the confounding utilization of Chrystabell’s vocals. Compositions maintain a lurching, cinematic pace, while the sonics comfortably reside within either the smoky, warbling ringing of guitar chords and minimal percussion or the neon glow of synth organs reminiscent of Lynch’s most iconic work. As the album opener, “She Knew,” closes out, you can even make out fragments eerily similar to the iconic “Laura Palmer’s Theme.” “She Knew” doesn’t bear direct thematic similarities, but it’s nonetheless an odd inclusion. Do the Twin Peaks synth textures and film score stylings ring a bit familiar for Lynch? Sure. Their role, however, is not a starring one. They’re the unassuming, even comforting foil to Chrystabell’s vocals. Her performances themselves are nothing new compared to past work—her voice’s tasteful simmer fits like a glove. The wrinkle, and in fact the core centerpiece of Cellophane Memories, is the near-constant inclusion of what sounds like three distinct vocal tracks, all independent of each other, sometimes even singing different words altogether. The initial shock about this eventually grows into acceptance, and the realization sets in that Cellophane Memories does not offer a standard singer-songwriter experience. In fact, as easy as it is to individually parse out a specific line when you want to, the record works exceedingly well when it’s allowed to wash over you as a singular piece of artistry with production and vocal performance intermingling as one. Cellophane Memories is best at its noisiest, with vocal snippets reversing and overlapping all while the production holds steady as an evocative accent to Chrystabell’s words. Making the choice to simply bask in what the record has to offer means giving up detangling the full potential of Chrystabell’s lyrical themes. But unlike, say, the plot of Mulholland Drive, Cellophane Memories doesn’t seem to be quite the puzzle box. Chrystabell’s efforts feel properly distributed, and the songwriting, while crucial, isn’t all she has to offer. As much as this album is an experiment in songwriting, it’s also one in production, creating depth on what could otherwise have been a rather sparse record. The instrumental ambiance and Chrystabell’s singing alone would’ve been enough for a satisfying listen, but the risks they made with separate vocal tracks makes for a truly singular experience. Cellophane Memories is an album whose goal is a unique sensory experience above all else. — spectrumculture.com

Track List:
01 - She Knew
02 - The Sky Falls
03 - You Know The Rest
04 - So Much Love
05 - Two Lovers Kiss
06 - The Answers to The Questions
07 - With Small Animals
08 - Reflections in a Blade
09 - Dance of Light
10 - Sublime Eternal Love


Media Report:
Genre: ambient, dream-pop
Origin: USA
Format: FLAC
Format/Info: Free Lossless Audio Codec
Bit rate mode: Variable
Channel(s): 2 channels
Sampling rate: 44.1 KHz
Bit depth: 16 bits
Compression mode: Lossless
Writing library: libFLAC 1.2.1 (UTC 2007-09-17)


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