“Still Waters” lived up to its name, and didn’t make a single ripple of interest for its listeners. French pop-disco artist Breakbot’s sophomore effort brought what I could only describe as upbeat background music at best.
Breakbot sounds like he’s playing four-by-four drum loops, layered with some drag-and-drop synth and bass loops, and his vocals feel extremely crowded. This does partially succeed, however, and the funky beats are entertaining and will make some great neutral party jams. His voice is a distinctive and crisp whine with the occasional auto-tuned tinge that pairs greatly with itself as backup. It’s unlike any voice I’ve heard before, and it definitely stands out amongst the simple beats and bass-driven melodies.
Lyrically, the album suffers, and there is no semblance of story or any topic for that matter. With the immense popularity of simple and repetitive lyrics that pop songs are known for, the lyrics here do just that, but worse. The album is a clean mix, although there’s not much production outside of what’s there. The album’s pre-release single “2Good4Me” appears to break up the monotony, with an intro that is akin to early ‘90s hip-hop, but then it falls into line like the rest.
“Wet Dream” was by far the most interesting song on the album. It mixes sounds of children playing in a pool with some cheerful synth and simple beats. This was more of an interlude than anything else, but the production played with sound direction, and it seemed to slosh around my surround sound just like water. As for the rest of the album, I’d say there’s room for improvement.
Rating: 2.5/5