I M U R, spoken aloud as “I Am You Are”, is putting together some killer tunes that in 2015 gave rise to their intriguing concept album, Slow Dive. Their genre-bending sound brought back the nostalgic vibes of the 90s hip-hop and R&B but infused them with electronica and soul that created a new progressive style. The refinement of their approach on the sophomore album, Little Death, is refreshing and culminates in a wonderfully chill, down-to-earth collection of tracks.
The East Vancouver trio, consisting of Jenny Lea on vocals and keys, Mikey Blige on electric guitar and production and Amine Bouzaher on electric violin and bass, puts together songs that are intimate and vulnerable. The debut single, “FFL”, starts with a simple electronic beat, and like most great 90s songs, a solid bass-line, before Lea steps in with her gentle, gravelly vocals that are rhythmic and measured and but still emphasizes the poetic nature of the lyrics. It shows that I M U R is more about creating something unique.
I M U R talks about “Swirl” saying that, “[It] is a deeply personal and vulnerable song about exploring love in it’s fluid and infinite nature. Quite suitably, the production is intimate and mesmerizing. It’s a psychedelic and swirling stereo downtempo experience.” Not sure there are better words to describe the song. While the track is certainly downtempo, there is an emotional intensity to it as well. It draws you in.
The interesting thing about Little Death is, not only can it be intensely listened to, it can be excellent ambiance music and getting lost in I M U R‘s sound is easy. It is not boring by any stretch, it is just so comforting it envelops you. The sonic depth of Little Death is expansive and encompasses most of what you want in an album.
You can pick up Little Death by I M U R on March 24, 2017 via their website: HERE.
Mikey J Blige
March 24, 2017 at 9:54 amThank you for the absolutely stunning review :)
Lemonade Magazine
March 24, 2017 at 10:05 amYou are so welcome! It is a brilliant album!