- Where on earth is Kevin Shields? By the sound of ‘Can I Say’, it seems he’s moved to Sweden. Those who lives collapsed when they realised that they would never hear another peep out of My Bloody Valentine would do well to check out this Rice Twins 12”: Well, one side at least: ‘Goatee’ on the B is a mid-tempo chin-stroker that proves even the Swedes get things wrong sometimes, but the A-side ‘Can I Say’ (even the title apes MBV) has the same shimmer and ingenious chord resolves as the best tracks on ‘Loveless’, minus the guitars of course, and the stonedness, but with extra added Ableton. Kompakt has started to develop a thing for Swedish indietronica it seems: Much like The Field’s ‘Over the Ice’ and ‘Everyday’, ‘Can I Say’ blends shoegazing values to a club heartbeat, something that might not sound that appealing in 2007, but the results here are undeniably gorgeous. It’s not as radical in construction as The Field, preferring comforting synth wash to slow-motion cut ups, and as a club record it’s hardly likely to get the bassheads out (like ‘Loveless’ the detail is in the upper register), but not every house record needs to get you moving frenetically. After all, isn't that why they put sofas in clubs? Listening to ‘Can I Say’ is as pleasant as sinking into an empty deep-seated one at the end of a crowded night.
TracklistA Can I Say
B Goatee