CANT “Dreams Come True”

Christopher Taylor is a rather talented fellow. Not only is he a multi-instrumentalist member of Grizzly Bear and the producer of their last three records, but alongside that he has also added deft touches to records by the likes of the Dirty Projectors, TV On The Radio and Twin Shadow. Perhaps most telling of all though in this instance is that he mixed, edited and restored an album of music by the late great Arthur Russell. Dreams Come True is Chris’ debut solo album under the moniker CANT and is one which inhabits a world similar to much of Arthur Russell’s work. On display is a great breadth of musicianship which sits alongside a variety of production styles. It’s a place where hushed minimalism is entwined with luscious electronic sounds to create an end result that is experimental and yet still for the most part inviting.

It must be at times a difficult prospect for an artist to create a body of work separate from their main outfit especially considering the depth of Taylor’s background, but where he succeeds in negating that on Dreams Come True is by exploring his own aesthetics and influences. Sure there are hints of his previous work scattered throughout the production but alongside that are dizzying electronic spells akin to Aphex Twin and sweet lo-fi R&B moments not too dissimilar to say the early work of Prince. However Dreams Come True isn’t always as dreamy as its title suggest. It can become a little dreary at times, especially towards the end of the record where you’ve already heard a large degree of what it has to offer. But this is a minor quibble as for the most part Taylor proves that he is just as talented individually as he is when working as part of a group, and when that group is Grizzly Bear, and this is a ‘side project’, that makes their next album even more anticipated. [B-]