I’m continually surprised by how much talent and musical variety is bred by LA’s co-ed duos like Passion Pit and the previously mentioned Loch & Key. It’s a good thing Cooper Gillespie and Greg Gordon of Mad Planet are more than keeping up with the competition thanks to their debut LP All Elephants.
Conceived in early 2009, All Elephants dives deeply into the genres of trip-hop, alternative rock, and jazz — a surprising departure from Gillespie’s and Gordon’s time spent in bands like Bang Sugar Bang and Nervous Return. The album was recorded through the course of a year in the duo’s Silverlake apartment with album art supplied by comic artist Nathan Hamill, son of Star Wars actor Mark Hamill.
I was a bit interested to listen after hearing them name Portishead and Massive Attack as strong influences for their album. "I Live Alone" and "Love Addict" are shining examples Gillespie’s smooth alto, trip-hop influenced, vocals; her lyrics taking on themes of loss and healing. It’s not until "Danger Danger" do things really pick up with a slightly industrial feel and Gordon’s strong up tempo break beats. Introspection is a strong theme throughout the 12 song collection, coming to a head with the closing track "Watch", it’s noisy oscillations fading into silence.
If you’re looking to see Mad Planet live, their next show is Wednesday, September 29th at the Viper Room.
-Angelo Lorenzo