Album Review: TOMORA, COME CLOSER

COME CLOSER marks a collaboration between the Chemical Brothers’ Tom Rowlands and Norwegian electro-pop singer Aurora, and the fusion makes a lot of sense. It has long been apparent that the latter’s ethereal Nordic vocals provide the perfect counterweight to thwacking dance beats (MK’s remix of her single ‘I Went Too Far’ is an earworm if ever there was one).

With that in mind, COME CLOSER starts very strongly. The title track is a hair-raiser you never want to end; Rowlands’ production wizardry constructs an appropriately sparse musical canvas, where Aurora is given the room she needs to howl and beseech. ‘Somewhere Else’, meanwhile, nicely marries Rowlands’ throbbing synths and signature drum & bass lines with the singer’s pretty, pointed vocals.

However, there is a sense the LP never quite delivers on its potential. With Aurora, it feels like Rowlands has found a new collaborative vocalist he can develop a relationship with - similar to Q-Tip - but unfortunately, there’s no ‘Galvanise’ or ‘Go’ on this record.

On several of the songs, like the eight-minute ‘I Drink The Light’, it starts to feel like both artists are working at cross-purposes, competing rather than gelling. Which is a shame, as there are otherwise plenty of other excellent moments on COME CLOSER.

7/10