Thats Nokay is back with a full-length record that dares to give off an even more expansive set of tonalities then the last one and this time around, the beautifully performed and arranged blend of edgy alternative pop, synth-pop, indie rock, and dream pop all really just flow naturally with this forward moving and freeing feeling as if the whole record was a concept album and each song interconnects with the last.
The Continuous album is indeed very continuous as I mentioned before, but the songs really have this edgy production machine to them and I really like that because by the time you get halfway through the record you sort of don't know what to expect next but that makes it all the more fun.
The entire project is written and performed by Alexander Jones who most certainly uses his music as a form of therapy if you really listen carefully.
Certain tracks come through as if they were cathartic for him to write and release and in turn you can feel the authenticity in a lot of these.
What's most fun though, is the soundscapes that he produces and how he layers these textures together to create grooves and pop-coated bangers that at certain points can seem very vast in their undertones but at other points can seem a little harder hitting.
An amazing array of synth and key sounds really help build this album and I can tell that there was a lot of attention paid to that in particular because the sounds on the record help build the aesthetic that the whole album displays and so, being able to know what synth sounds that you want to use to be able to create the aesthetic that you're going for is key.
This is clearly an artist who puts a lot of time and effort into what he's doing but at the same time, there's heart involved.
Vocals tend to float in the ether of songs and sometimes they're doubled or even triple layered and this gives an almost haunting or ghostly effect on certain tracks but this adds to that whole vibe that some of the songs give off and that the record is meant to portray.
When you listen to this record you get the feeling that Alexander is someone that has his sweet spot when he's alone recording and doing his thing because the music itself has no real walls built around it and so that's why I mentioned earlier that it feels freeing.
There is a musical sense of feeling free as well in terms of that dream pop tonality on some of the songs and how there's a big ambience and spaciousness on certain tracks as well, but there's also a sense of freeing in the vocals and the lyrics.
This is a record where, just like the last one, you really should be listening to as a whole all the way through. This way you can really pick up on everything that's going on because there are layers to be peeled back throughout the course of this album.
The whole thing about how this project comes through is that it feels more like an experience and it has this particular personal tonality to it where certain songs feel like they connect with you when you connect with them.
The mix of a record like this is not something a lot of people talk about in a review. However, I must bring this up simply because to get the kind of vibes that this record gives off the mix is imperative. There are elements of reverb and panning, limiting, and so much more that go into how the album ends up sounding and feeling more importantly.
The thing is, there was just as much time put into the mix of this record as there was recording it and I can tell just by listening to it.
This is why you're able to sort of swim through this record the way that you can. The mix really lets you do that and it gives a sharper edge to certain songs and a softer fluff to others but either way, you're either driving or floating through this record.
It's amazing to me how much this record is all about tones. I don't think enough artists pay attention to that aspect of what they're doing but Thats Nokay always seems to put this on the forefront so that the record's aesthetic feels right.
This was a very personal and beautifully built piece of work and I think that Alexander should be proud of this record because he definitely got even a little bit more experimental but still put everything together again, in this wonderfully forward-moving flow and so it all works out perfectly.
Anyone who loves all pop or Indie pop, dream pop, any kind of music that you can engulf yourself in and just close your eyes, put on some headphones, and just be a part of will love this record.
So do that. Put on some headphones and enjoy.
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