Melody's Echo Chamber - Melody's Echo Chamber (Album Review)

 

Melody’s Echo Chamber - Melody’s Echo Chamber 

(2012)

My copy: 2017 limited reissue on peach sherbert vinyl by Fat Possum Records.

Following her band’s tour with Tame Impala, Melody Prochet enlisted Kevin Parker to aid in the creation of Melody’s Echo Chamber, her debut solo record. Parker helped push the production in the right direction, resulting in a sound that perfectly fits Prochet’s writing style. 

The production on the bass is warm and inviting, giving “I Follow You” a vintage psych energy while the mids and highs ring through crystal clear. Prochet’s voice is the highlight of the record, with the best moments being her layers of self harmonizations. There is a softness to the synths while guitar serves only to gentrify the good ideas on the record. A guitar solo bites into “I Follow You,” and while it’s mixed well, it feels forced. 

“Crystallized” makes clever use of bit-crushing and EQ to turn what would be a repetitive slog into a cavern of lush arrangements. Prochet’s voice again proves to be the catchiest aspect of every song, with the rest building flashy patchworks to compliment the voice. The distortion and density present on some songs is interesting, and mixes in touches of shoegaze influence (think early Swirlies with better production but no punk edge). “You Won’t Be Missing That Part Of Me” harkens to the noir tinged indie of the Clientele, where again the track is saved by the vocals and effects. 

It is the more straightforward indie tunes that fail the hardest: there are neat tricks sprinkled in on “Some Time Alone, Alone” but it ends up mostly forgettable. The same could be said of the later “Mount Hopeless” and “Be Proud Of Your Kids.” A fun vocal synth is introduced on “Bisou Magique” which makes use of stereo tricks and shifting arpeggios. Around “Endless Shore” you’ll realize that the whole album is essentially the same tempo, which is one of the biggest causes for fatigue. Fortunately, highlight “Quand Vas Tu Rentrer” is a revitalizing treat that patiently builds a wall of sound with vocal synths and mysterious melodies; this is all made more intriguing by the use of a 5/4 time signature, allowing the track to further stand out. 

Another unique track is “Snow Capped Andes Crash” which rightly trades guitar for a much heavier emphasis on synth atmospheres. The song becomes eerie and transcendental, with multiple fakeout endings and exploding distortion, the only issue is that this is dragged out for far too long. 

At its best, Melody’s Echo Chamber is like a neon-lit disco for hippies: meaning lush psychedelia combined with powerful mid-tempo grooves. At its worst, the album melts into a mush of similar ideas with nothing particularly special to break the mold. Thankfully, the production is so good that it still makes for a great listen here and there.