Recliner: Rest Room

Herald rating: * * *

Portishead had two people. Recliner has six. But in the first languid moments of this local band's debut it seems obvious to compare the two.

A musical project featuring songwriter Guy Wishart combines the talents of an artist, photographer, film-maker, internet whiz, horticulturist and environmental lawyer, making for a luxuriously-produced, tastefully decorated trip-pop album for the post-Portishead generation.

That has its pros and cons. Like the electronica darlings of the 90s, Recliner's songs have a dark, hypnotic beauty that breezes along on mellow atsmospheric guitars, poignant keys and gentle beats.

Central to the sound are are breathy vocals of Belinda Bradley, who sounds like a more conventional Beth Gibbons, along with her singing cohort Darlene Te Young. There are also times when that eerie, mellow tone evokes elements of Dimmer, the female version, particularly when the bass kicks in on Something She Said.

Elsewhere it can sound a little dated and suffer from awkward lines: "It's like a frozen lake, you go there by mistake," sings Bradley on the aptly titled Makes No Sense. And there's a seriousness that pervades some of the more wishy-washy tracks.

The recording quality cannot be faulted. Everything from the jagged guitars to the ambling drums and warm synths is expertly captured to give a haunting, dreamy effect.

Label: Crimpolene Music