If there is one group of people that likes a good pseudonym, it is electronic musicians. Her Space Holiday is really just a guy named Marc, and Mustapha 3000 and Kurtis Rush are both Erol Alkan, and Aphex Twin, along with more than ten other onikers, is Richard James.
So if the name Dntel doesn’t ring a bell it doesn’t mean you’re not familiar with his work. Jimmy Tamborello, also known as James Figurine, also known as the non-singing half of the Postal Service, is back with his newest album, “Dumb Luck,” under his primary alias, Dntel. This release is Dntel’s first on Seattle’s Sub Pop Records, which previously released material featuring Tamborello alongside Ben Gibbard as The Postal Service.
The album sees Dntel back to his old tricks, delivering more than 40 minutes of mild electronic music riddled with clicks and blips. And if this release fails obviously in any one area, it is simply that fans of Dntel’s previous work will recognize most of these songs as reusing the elements that have made Tamborello a star in the world of intelligent dance music.
That said, these are new songs, and while they may be similar to songs we have already heard, the featured artists alone make the album worth buying. Eight of the nine tracks found on “Dumb Luck” are collaborations, including a track with Grizzly Bear’s Edward Droste and one with Conor Oberst, better known as Bright Eyes.
Though the album covers long-discovered territory, its track list is deep and covers as much ground within Dntel’s comfort zone as nine songs can. Tamborello’s knack for high-polish production once again ensures a technically perfect listen from beginning to end. Each splash of static is carefully arranged, each burst of feedback in its right place.
When Tamborello does move outside his well-defined box, the results are breathtaking, like “Roll On,” which features vocals by Jenny Lewis. The song, which would be right at home on a compilation called “IDM Goes Country,” is a perfect example of Dntel’s skill for composing understated accompaniment to delicate vocals.
Other notable tracks include “Breakfast in Bed,” on which Tamborello and Oberst join forces to create a down-tempo number that sounds like a song accidentally cut from Bright Eyes’ “Digital Ash in a Digital Urn,” and the album’s title track.
Tamborello succeeds with “Dumb Luck” by applying the trademark Dntel sound to the Sub Pop stage. “Dumb Luck” is a pleasant, well-produced addition to the Dntel discography that will not surprise fans of his previous work, but may be the most accessible album Tamborello has had a hand in since The Postal Service’s “Give Up.”
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