Having a sound that falls in the wistful sweet spot between
New Order
and
James Blake
,
Bob Moses
are actually a duo, featuring
Jimmy Vallance
as the man behind the group's hypnotic music while
Tom Howie
is primarily the vocalist, singing melodies that are wistful, woozy, and evocative of rain lightly falling on the skylight of a tasteful downtown loft. Their music recalls the rocktronica of
Dirty Vegas
with a restrained, indie, and post-
Toro y Moi
spin, but it is also worth noting that
are deeply committed to this -- supposedly -- narrow spectrum, and are able to mine a varied and filling album out of it.
Days Gone By
is a more diverse alternative to their EP-collecting compilation
All in All
as "Tearing Me Up" comes close to snapping its fingers, rocking back and forth like a light hotstepper while offering up lyrics and a tune primed for a
Sam Smith
cover version. Highlight "Talk" offers a different type of melancholy, one that's icy cold and covered in a chrome-plated sheen, and if the
Trentemoller
style of bottomless bass and deep blues is of interest, subwoofers and tear ducts might get a workout during "Nothing at All," "Writing on the Wall," or the title track. "Too Much Is Never Enough" comes off as "Personal Jesus" at an intoxicating half-tempo, and with a handful of other
Depeche Mode
/
Martin Gore
-type touches,
winds up a more "song-oriented" release compared to
, even with a handful of cuts that stretch past six minutes. Tune in, come down, and drift about because
remain the masters of restrained bliss house. ~ David Jeffries