Housed behind an entirely appropriate title, the debut album of
Dntel (aka Jimmy Tamborello) is a gorgeous, mostly ambient journey into moody, poetic electronic sounds. One imagines these ten songs would make for a delightful, if feverish, score to a kaleidoscopic dream. Though
Life Is Full of Possibilities is centered on somewhat standard clicks + cuts, textured sound washes, and cut-and-paste electronic dynamics,
Dntel's music contains such pristine melodies and is so effective in its stimulation of one's emotions that it makes for a refreshing, fascinating hour. It's the kind of music Kevin Shields has been threatening to unleash since the collapse of
My Bloody Valentine.
Dntel is aided more than a bit by his guest vocalists/lyricists, who include Chris Gunst from
Beachwood Sparks, Rachel Haden of the defunct
that dog., Benjamin Gibbard of
Death Cab for Cutie, and Brian McMahan from
Slint and
The for Carnation, among others. When
Dntel is at his best, he brings to mind some of the finest European sound collagists, chief among them
Múm. Indeed, "Suddenly Is Sooner Than You Think" and "The Dream of Evan and Chan" bear an uncanny resemblance to the superb songs on
Múm's
Yesterday Was Dramatic - Today Is Okay. Gibbard's vocals on "The Dream of Evan and Chan" blend with the
Múm-like overtones so perfectly that the song is easily one of the mostly touching and beautiful sonic creations of the year. Pretty, brittle, subtle, full of surprises, and disarming in its ability to set moods,
Life Is Full of Possibilities is a masterpiece that places
Dntel near the top of the heap of electronic artists working in 2001. [The deluxe edition of
Life Is Full of Possibilities collects B-sides from the (This Is) The Dream of Evan and Chan maxi-single (most notably a remix version that features
Kings of Convenience’s
Erlend Øye) and
Anywhere Anyone 12". New additions include previously unreleased outtakes from the original recording sessions -- including cast-off tracks "Footprints" and "Sorry," as well as a vocal version of "Last Songs" -- and newly commissioned remixes of "Anywhere Anyone."] ~ Tim DiGravina