Grade: 85/100
Since 2009, the man behind the tribal half-masks Aaron “SBTRKT” (pronounced “subtract”) Jerome has caused countless involuntary head nods courtesy of his post-dubstep and indie pop production skills. His second major album “Wonder Where We Land” is no different.
The record’s opening track “Day 1” gives very little preface to the sound of the rest of the album. Each song creates the same uncertain excitement about the track after it. This theme of the unknown ties perfectly into the album’s title.
If SBTRKT’s instrumentals are the body of his songs, the features are what brings them to life. Four contributions from frequent collaborator Sampha act as the album’s backbone. Ezra Koenig, lead singer of Vampire Weekend as well as English singer-songwriter Jessie Ware lend their talents to “Wonder Where We Land” on “New Dorp. New York,” and “Problem (Solved).” The champion feature of the record goes to Atlanta-based rapper Raury for his impressive flow and word choice on “Higher.”
While these features are greatly appreciated, the high volume of collaborations leaves four songs for SBTRKT to stand alone. With SBTRKT’s impressive production repertoire available, “Wonder Where We Land” could use a few more solo tracks from its artist.
Within the album’s 15 songs, SBTRKT explores all directions his music could go. There are hints of dubstep, hip-hop, R&B and classical music all swirled into this work creating one of the most innovative projects of the year. There is something for everyone to like on “Wonder Where We Land” whether its easy listening or aggressive drums and bass.
Those who say all electronic music sounds the same should listen to SBTRKT’s body of work and rethink that opinion. Nothing about “Wonder Where We Land” sounds like something that could be found on a tv commercial or popular movie.
SBTRKT wears masks to separate himself from his music. Instead of explaining why he makes certain choices in production, SBTRKT would rather anonymously release his work for an audience to judge. That separation resonates through “Wonder Where We Land” as the music takes listeners away from the world around them somewhere completely different in the best way.
It’s easy to see how much work SBTRKT put into his sophomore album. Every synth sound and feature represents the thought and care which resulted in a classic electronic album.