Signed to a nascent Warp Records two decades ago, George Evelyn's long-standing electronica project, Nightmares on Wax, was once heralded for its innovation. Quenching post-rave cultists' desire for unique sounds, the group's knack for fusing hip-hop breakbeats with low-end, brooding electro-- most notably on its ground-breaking "Dextrous" and "Aftermath" singles-- also helped draw the blueprint for downtempo, that oft-derided lifestyle accompaniement. But after losing key contributors Kevin Harper and Robin Taylor-Firth in the mid-nineties, Evelyn stalled creatively and has yet to effectively rebound.
Conceived as a travelogue of sorts, Thought So... was written and (mostly) tracked during Evelyn's relocation from Leeds to Ibiza. Granted, it's a cool way to make a record, but Thought So... doesn't fully embody the anything-goes spirit of life on the road or thematically illustrate a transition from city existence to hedonistic island-dwelling, so this doesn't have much (if any) effect on the album's nature.
For better or worse, Thought So... continues NoW's longstanding M.O.: Finding a functioning, funky groove and riding it, unaltered, for the duration of a track. Unlike the work of younger producers Flying Lotus or Switch, Evelyn's beats rarely mutate or change direction. Opener "Da Feelin" begins this routine; guest vocalists croon over a lethargic, jazzy hip-hop rhythm that merely runs in place. "195 lbs", a piece of echo-chamber dub, suffers from the same fate. Its capable Jamaican patois is wasted on a frustratingly resolute beat that loses steam a few minutes in.
The record's clear standout is "Moretime", which announces a three-song suite that finally delivers on Evelyn's promise of expressive downtempo. Replete with crunchy electric guitars, heavy bass thwaps, and sweet R&B crooning, the updated Philly soul track is the first to actively engage the listener's emotions or intellect. "Pretty Dark", whose title aptly summarizes its ominous tone, is equally successful. Here, Evelyn slithers treated synths in and out of choppy guitars, arriving at an intoxicated haze sounding not unlike Mezzanine-era Massive Attack. Finally there's "Hear in Colour", the weakest of this triptych but superior to its aforementioned reggae counterpart, "195 lbs". Despite these late-album highlights, Thought So... is too relaxed, too stoned for its own good. Every song on the album is crafted with clinical meticulousness, its production clean as a whistle, but like a flawlessly constructed garment lacking in inventive design it ultimately falls short.
