The Phantom Tollbooth

Review of Creatures All Tonight

Both eccentric and well-crafted, Gordon B. Isnor’s new recording features five danceable electronic folk-pop tunes and two instrumentals that cap the record off. He describes his music as outsider and experimental--whatever it is, it's good.

There’s something fresh and enjoyable about _Creatures All Tonight_. Every song features some oddball mix of musical styles- flamenco with electronic dance, smile-pop with retro folk, indie rock with '80’s pop. His lyrics are as enigmatic as his music, often about seemingly nonsensical topics but at times genuinely earnest. The record's only weakness is its final stretch--the two back-to-back instrumentals tend to drag out the listen, an unsatisfying end to an otherwise solid listen.

Many listeners probably won't know what to make of _Creatures All Tonight_ on the first couple of spins, but I'm going to encourage them to stick with it. Its melodies are catchy, its music refreshingly different, and ultimately rewarding once given a fair chance. It’s a fun record, revealing an artist that is unafraid to be experimental and weird, and bears the talent to effectively pull it off.

Author: Jonathan Avants

2005-10-23