ALBUM REVIEW: Sandro Perri's 'Impossible Spaces' rewards listening


Sandro Perri has an uncanny knack for conjuring up unique sounds and loosely sewing them together by common threads.

“Impossible Spaces,” Perri’s latest and third L.P., stays true to this style.

In the early 2000s, Perri began making his name one worth remembering with his Polmo Polpo project and first album “The Science of Breath,” a hypnotic, heady and immersive foray into the outer reaches of techno.

With his hauntingly gorgeous follow up, “Like Hearts Swelling,” Perri erased the boundaries between electronic and acoustic instruments and succeeded in establishing himself as one of those rare talents whose unpredictable creative arc will undoubtedly be worth paying attention to.

In 2007, Perri shifted to the role of singer-songwriter, releasing “Tiny Mirrors” under his own name. Perri surprised many again with delicate, tropically-flavored songs crafted with a folk-pop band, his endearing singing voice and all the romantic warmth of a Mediterranean sunset.

A close relative of the Toronto-based musician and producer’s previous album, “Impossible Spaces” is more fleshed out as he glides seamlessly across instruments, genres and monikers.

Each song on “Impossible Spaces” has a sway to it, moving seamlessly between verse and chorus and transitioning ever so subtly across extended jams, which can last up to ten minutes.

“Changes” has an undeniable groove. Given Perri’s talents, he could and should find this sort of groove more often.

Though the longest song on the album and the LP's apex before it slides in the closing, title track, “Wolfman,” is simply lovely. Its sprawl is contained neatly, as many of the album's songs are, by the sheer force of its charm.

There are no repetitive choruses or blatant senses of catchiness to latch onto in these songs. Still, that does not preclude the refined and understated melodies from sticking in your head. The songs also have an undeniable reminiscence to the classic gold of 70’s radio hits — à la Fleetwood Mac.

Overall, Perri sounds calm and confident in his songs. Somehow, he’s shown the other musicians working with him how to share his vision of these sauntering and pleasantly woozy tunes. The elements that connect the album prove that Perri is ultimately the auteur here.

In the end, the slow, quiet pop of “Impossible Spaces” does not demand attention, but it surely rewards it.

Genre: ?Avant-pop-rock Rating: 4 out of 5 stars

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