Burial: Untrue

Label: Hyperdub

The most critically acclaimed electronic record of 2007 actually lives up to its billing. Dubstep whiz Burial (no one really knows who this fellow is) has just released the perfect soundtrack to the duality of inner-city life, a mixture of euphoric two-step syncopations and melancholic vocal samples. Untrue conjures up images of a late-night, drizzly British city and the slow release of energy after going clubbing, as exemplified by the morose comedown of “In McDonalds” with its floating keyboards soundscapes. The opening track, “Archangel”, and its crackly drum machine beats establishes the feel of the entire album, which is coated in fuzzy static, lending a lo-fi feel to the crisp production. The album’s trademark heavily processed vocal lines and creepy whispering voices also capture the emergency of real life, as Burial favors sampling his friends singing acapella or in their cell phones over using professional studio singers. With its sublime mixture of UK garage, dubstep and R&B, accentuated by an adventurous production, Untrue is a beautifully bittersweet and poetic ode to urban life. (Morgane)