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Under the moniker Manitoba hides a certain Dan Snaith, a Canadian with a taste for electronic music. The 2001 debut "Start Breaking My Heart" had unfolded along well-known lines, and the affinities with Boards Of Canada and St. Germain certainly did not benefit his originality. In this new work, however, the eclecticism of the Canadian "digitalizer" is surprising as he approaches electronic matter from an indie-rock perspective, associating grooves and synth sequences with vocal melodies and mists reminiscent of the lost 80s.
The two singles that seem tailor-made to tickle the vanity of indiepoppers with electronic ambitions are: "I've Lived on a Dirty Road All My Life" (track 1) and "Jacknuggeted" (track 4). The first is a protodance episode between Dubstar and Chemical Brothers with a catchy vocal/melodic line just enough to make it singable, while the second is characterized by pop twilight atmospheres with acoustic guitar and a sad voice swallowed by effects.
Of course, the true distinguishing feature of Up in Flames remains the rhythmic choices, which give cohesion to the work; the Canadian genius indeed used two drummers simultaneously, which recreated that sense of "offbeat" but only apparently... Everything perfect even if the album might seem more of a beautiful exercise of one's talent than a record of actual substance. With Up In Flames one plunges their fingers into the tender belly of the best recent and distant psychedelia, proposing a convincing continuum of unruly rhythmic feverish plastic evanescence and roaring revelations.
A neurotic-tribal dance. As if Jimi Hendrix and the Beatles had found themselves playing with the Chemical Brothers all happily on acid. Simply brilliant. It deserves 5 stars (in my opinion, it's clear).... I like those who dare even TOO much!!! Enjoy it while you can.
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