Calgary-based indie/alternative musician and producer Tawni Bias recently dropped a new, experimental album, SEL Fellow.
Talking about SEL Fellow, Tawni says, “In the long process these tracks were created in I found healing—and I hope others will too.”
He goes on to refer to his music as being “made in layers that stick with a consistent energy that builds throughout. Orchestrated layers that leave you with something new and poignant for each returning listen.”
Encompassing nine tracks, highlights on the album include “Two Poodles One Cake,” which opens on layers of discordant yet pleasing horns, and then flows into a dreamy, lysergic melody made up of soft, shimmering tones. Tawni’s delicate falsetto imbues the lyrics with wistful colors.
“Flare Intropin” rolls out on a gentle acoustic guitar backed by wavering hues. Crooning vocals, as well as echoing falsetto timbres, give the lyrics melancholic aromas as drifting tiers of sound ooze underneath. “Cardamom” features tentative vocals, shifting on oscillating tones as quavering sounds impinge sporadically. As the song takes shape, rippling textures give it mysterious tension.
A personal favorite, “Gossamer,” rides glistening translucent colors, followed by the entry of a finessed hip-hop-lite rhythm topped by Tawni’s superbly inflected falsetto. Later, the falsetto drops to a delicious tenor, reflecting tenderness.
“Pulling Starch” offers soft layers of emo-hip-hop colors as fluctuating filaments roll out. When the syncopated rhythm enters, the tune blends light, rumbling percussion with creamy coloration. Whereas “Homily” opens on almost dirge-like accents of sound – a distant horn, wafting colors, trickling percussion, followed by a hefty rhythm supporting a variety of iridescent colors.
The final track, “Bantry,” features an acoustic guitar, strumming lightly, as Tawni’s ghostly falsetto sings faintly overhead.
Enigmatic, experimental, and delightfully immersive, SEL Fellow conveys tantalizing textures of sound, along with the remarkable voice of Tawni Bias.
