Aromanticism

by Moses Sumney

Overview

The singular talents of Moses Sumney were already apparent in a couple of early EPs and guest spots with Solange and Sufjan Stevens, but his stellar debut album, Aromanticism, still comes as a slow-motion shock. First of all there is his concept of "aromantic," defined by Sumney as someone incapable of experiencing romantic love, coupled with the struggle to fit into a world where love is almost an imposition and its negation an aberration. Unsurprisingly for an era so obsessed with body politics, most of the commentary surrounding this critically acclaimed album tended to focus on Sumney's manifesto, conveniently ignoring that many before Sumney have been suspicious about the commodification of romance, for instance political art rock bands such as Gang of Four or the whole straight-edge hardcore movement. What is different here, and the main reason Aromanticism is such a beguiling record, is the tension between content and form. While the bands mentioned above took pains to create music as unromantic as possible, Sumney's is explicitly sensual, his yearning for detachment as convincing as Al Green's or Maxwell's longing for the polar opposite. Juxtaposition lies at the very fabric of these tracks, which contrast spacious, spectral electronic textures against lush organic sounds such as harp, guitar, and strings. Furthermore, while most of the record keeps to a chill downtempo, climax and release occur at key moments in the shape of sudden bursts of acceleration and volume, most noticeably on the coda to the album's centerpiece, "Lonely World." As meticulously impressive as the arrangements are, everything takes a back seat to Sumney's heavenly falsetto surrounded by a swirling spiral of his own background vocals. This is no small weapon: not since Antony has a voice evoked such wonder. The results are startling and difficult to categorize (groove ambient music? art soul?), and nonetheless uniformly exceptional. Aromanticism may have developed from a peculiar and attention-grabbing concept, but it ultimately triumphs on account of the utterly original and exquisite craft of its productions and performances. The sterling list of collaborators includes fellow sonic adventurers such as Thundercat, Paris Strother (King), Matt Otto (Majical Cloudz), Ian Chang (Son Lux), and Nicole Miglis (Hundred Waters). ~ Mariano Prunes

Product Details

Release Date:	09/22/2017
Label:	JAGJAGUWAR
UPC:	0656605230818

Tracks

1. Man on the Moon (Reprise)
2. Don't Bother Calling
3. Plastic
4. Quarrel
5. Stoicism
6. Lonely World
7. Make Out in My Car
8. The Cocoon-Eyed Baby
9. Doomed
10. Indulge Me
11. Self-Help Tape

Album Credits

Performance Credits

Moses Sumney   Primary Artist,Guitar,Vocals,Synthesizer,Guitar (Bass)
Rob Moose   Strings
Jamire Williams   Drums
Tracy Wannomae   Flute,Clarinet
Miguel Atwood-Ferguson   Strings
Matt Otto   Synthesizer
Brandee Younger   Harp
Tosin Abasi   Guitar
Ludwig Goeransson   Guitar,Synthesizer,Guitar (Bass)
Rashaan Carter   Bass (Upright)
Thundercat   Guitar (Bass)
Mike Rocha   Horn
Ian Chang   Drums
Nicole Miglis   Flute
Joshua Willing Halpern   Guitar

Technical Credits

Ted Jensen   Mastering
Rob Moose   String Arrangements
Miguel Atwood-Ferguson   String Arrangements
Matt Otto   Composer,Engineer,Producer
Ludwig Goeransson   Composer,Producer
Julian Gross   Design
Rashaan Carter   Engineer
Trayer Tryon   Engineer,Additional Production
Paris Strother   Composer,Piano Arrangement,Synthesizer Arrangements
Ben Baptie   Mixing
Sean Walker   Photography
Michael Harris   Engineer
Gueorgui Linev   Engineer,Producer
Cameron Osteen   Composer
Moses Sumney   Composer,Engineer,Producer
Joshua Willing Halpern   Mixing,Engineer,Producer,Additional Production
Billy Mims   Engineer
Cam O'bi   Producer
Eric Gyamfi   Photography