Album Review: Night Moves - Colored Emotions

Minneapolis trio Night Moves move in mysterious ways if their debut album, Colored Emotions, a mysterious indie, country, atmospheric and electronic hybrid, is anything to go by. Last year the band, then unsigned, posted Colored Emotions online for free. Now it costs. So is it worth the green?

First impressions are good. The weightless and effortless vocals mixed with sensible production fit together perfectly – from the catchiness of Only A Child to the authentically candid Old Friends, a beautiful piece of songwriting that moves along with an accompanying banjo, backed-up with vocalist John Pelant's prose about good friends.  Behind the guitar hook on opening track Headlights, the message is one of self-doubt as Pelant states that he's unsure who he is. He has a gentle and almost Zen-like approach in his delivery; on some songs he could well be sitting on a waterbed sipping cocktails, he sounds so damn relaxed. The true mark of what makes this album good is its unpredictability. Take for example the extended introduction and guitar tune on Country Queen, the exciting, trippy and colourful Horses or the morose In The Rounds.

This debut shows Night Moves' potential as a band that refuses to be labelled or defeated. That the album's finished in 35 minutes says much about their stance. Moreover, Colored Emotions actually feels like a collection of songs expertly structured rather than a bunch of songs cobbled together. The album takes a few listens to grasp the music's nuances, drama and depth. But an album that demands to be played more than once is a rarity and is worth an exchange of dollars.