Cantoma

This "Music for dreams"-label album can be a bit sleepy, but everyone needs a nap sometimes. There are moments of beauty in this otherwise spotty first production effort from former DJ/Ibiza escapee Phil Mison. Nice lush vocals, strings and synths--like Morcheeba on sedatives. Some tracks will be perfect in a downtempo, chill or lounge context, but innappropriate use of acoustic bass, accordian and "the shaker" make some tracks only for, well, your mom.
Lovely: 7, 10, 3, 8
No FCC.

1. "Smooth jazz"-style beat and drums, accordian is a bit much, but ok groove.
2. Lazy start, but picks up with subtle strings, vocals later on.
**3. Guitar, echoing female vocals, really understated and nice.
4. Reggae feel at times, horns
5. Uptempo worldbeat, interesting whirling sounds.
6. African drum imitation, repetitive voice sample
***7. Best of album, a sweet melodic tension, mix of guitar, synth and drums
*8. Male humming/synths, cool kickbeat, etherial drum break in middle
9. Asleep at the wheel -- lots of synths, sounds, but no direction
**10. Sic rhythm, filled out soundscape. The kind of track you love to hear at 5 am after a night out in Miami.
*11. Echoed strumming, lonely piano, sparse female vocals -- a sleeper.