Giraffe

Echoboy's third album for Mute, recorded with legendary producer Flood and features ten brilliant tracks. More vocal oriented than any of his previous work, it's undoubtedly the finest Echoboy record to date. 2002.

Head-swimming prog excursions are de riguer for maverick producer Echoboy, but on Giraffe, he chucks the epic precedents set by his early singles (see the 12-minute-long "Flashlegs") for a more traditional route, recruiting über-producer Flood for his most focused album yet. Warren's introspective lyrics occupy the spotlight on most of the songs; where formerly his vocals were more decorative than structural, here they service some surprising pop moments, especially on the Joy Division-like single "Automatic" and the sinister, synth-punk "Good on TV." Flood's influence is noticeable throughout as he ups the fuzz factor by several megahertz on the industrial crush of "Wasted Spaces," but he always guides rather than overwhelms. Giraffe is quite possibly Echoboy's best album yet, and its sordid mix of free-form psychedelics, eerie electro-house beats, distorted '70s-supergroup rock guitar, and dirty disco bear Echoboy's stamp in genre-mashing innovation. Long may he continue on his upward trajectory. --Leslie Gilotti