After witnessing him drop three full-length releases in as many years, anyone who’s aware of Filipino singer-songwriter Idris Vicuña may know more or less what to expect from his next album. Whilst his trademark stamp on lounge-y lo-fi bedroom pop continues to tick enough boxes to keep turning heads, his music’s tendency to rehash the same scuzzy, washed-out quirks has rarely managed to satisfy much beyond mild interest. But Eyedress seems determined to hang in there. Always wallpaper than showstopper, he still manages to sound as if he’s on the cusp of what could be his unlikely masterpiece. His new record Mulholland Drive may not quite be that, but it suggests that he might just be heading in the right direction.
Invigorated by its own diametrically-opposed tracklist, Mulholland Drive smooths out the tedious repetition of previous ventures and replaces it with a surprisingly dynamic temperament. Though not quite as Lynchian as the album title suggests, Eyedress’s take on positivity and life’s simple pleasures bids to jump, hop, and on a few occasions, trip its way through a busy list of artist features – some more recognisable than others, ‘Chad An Gordy (feat. King Krule)’ being the most standout of the pack. Between the retro laser quest synthesisers on ‘Brain Dead’ and the damning gothic eyeliner riffs of ‘Spit On Your Grave’, very little can prepare you for the sleazy French noir porno whispers of “Dom Perignon” on the happy-go-lucky ‘Something About You (feat. Dent May)’. There’s still a good deal of filler here but Eyedress feels like he’s clunking into gear.
