Underrated Silence Bonus Version

iTunes Review

Underrated Silence is a joint release of Mark Peters from the British dream-pop band Engineers and keyboard/laptop manipulator Ulrich Schnauss. The opening instrumental composition, “The Messiah Is Falling,” pushes the duo’s penchant for shoegaze forward with Brian Eno–influenced minimalism. Since Schnauss and Peters are keyboardists first and foremost, they’ve created a realm where clean-toned guitars serve as peripheral accompaniment. More M83 than MBV, “Long Distance Call” blends sparkling synths with backward guitars and whisper-sung inflections (mixed at the same EQ level as the rest of the instruments). Although there are moments in “Forgotten” when the female singer’s ethereal falsetto recalls that of Lush’s Miki Berenyi, the song’s percolating drum machine patterns and otherworldly synth layers seem sui generis. The title track ends with rippling waves of guitar delay, slowly building into a sonic swell.