The Redeemer

Dean Blunt is becoming a master of collage, an artist whose aural assemblages are often so disparate that they manifest visual creations for those who listen closely. Using everything from harps and cellos, found vocal samples, hard beats, and watery soundscapes, Blunt seems to rarely find a sound he doesn’t think worthy of inclusion. There’s a grimy guitar riff he wants to let loose on “All Dogs Go to Heaven,” a massive gong on “Mmix,” trumpets and whistles in “Need 2 Let U Go,” a broken man and his piano on “Brutal,” and a crisp, bluesy guitar line on “Make It Official.” “Demon” is a patchwork of echoing toms (courtesy Kate Bush’s “Sat in Your Lap”), car horns, breaking glass, violin ostinato, and looping vocals chants that sound vaguely demonic. The title track floats on wheezing accordion or melodica notes, with the sweet vocals of Blunt’s former musical partner Inga Copeland fleeing from an ugly outburst of male frustration before faux strings soften the mood. Blunt’s knob wizardry isn’t for everybody—if you're looking for a good dance groove, a hooky tune, or verse/chorus/verse, keep going. But working through this multitextured pastiche offers a unique method for emotional temperature-taking.