"Unlike anything on the market today... a breakthrough creatively." (Evolution of Media)
It is made clear that Shimmerplanet sets out with their latest release, The One Who Kills Tomorrow, to record an album unlike anything on the market today. Front man Soren Anders, seduces the listener with his intensely personal lyrics and at the same time catches them off guard with each song's unpredictability. Carolyn Eufrasio's refreshing voice will put you in a snake charming trance. Right when you think you know where the album is going, Shimmerplanet whisks you off on an adventure around the world.
Is it rock, is it folk, is it classical? These are the questions I tried to answer while listening to this record. After several tries, I have concluded that this album exceeds all categories. "Author" begins with a calm melody and breaks down with an army like drum beat that marches the listener off to a civil war battle. It then pulls us further under its spell with profound lines such as "If you were a character, I'd make you minor. A paragraph from hello to goodbye". It is clear that this is a song addressing an issue that has long tormented Soren. Soon enough we are sent off to Madrid where the Spanish guitar brings the cool taste of a margarita to my lips. Lines like, "The less we speak, the less we cry" help us envision the pain in a complex relationship. With so many directions to go in, there is a song for every mood.
Perhaps this album contains too much variety, however. Although the album is a clear display of Shimmerplanet's musical ability, some songs come out of nowhere leaving me lost. It would have been more beneficial to the album's overall sound if the group had focused in on maybe two or three sounds, and perfected those. Instead, I believe that they try to do too much and as a result, certain songs such as "Everyone Says You Love Me But You", sound unfinished.
Overall, this album is a breakthrough creatively and if you are sick of being able to accurately predict an entire album after hearing the first song, then The One Who Kills Tomorrow will definitely be the answer to your long awaited prayers.