The title evokes gummy bear sweets and the album cover is pastel coloured. But the music is like a stream of water: slightly choppy now and again, meandering at the edges, but always flowing in one direction. “Gummy” is Anna Aaron’s sixth record since 2011. And like the two albums that preceded it, it is the result of a fruitful collaboration with the legendary Young Gods drummer Bernard Trontin. Guitarist Nicolas Büttiker was also involved.
Aaron, who is 38 years old and comes from Basel, recorded “Gummy” in her own studio as well as in the same Alpine chalet in which she and Trontin produced the ambient track “Moonwaves”. This unlikely musical alliance with Trontin has culminated in an album filled at once with inviting warmth and oppressive background tones. It is an eclectic sound, but it arguably works. In any case, it is brave and surprising in its experimental moments.
Aaron’s vocals are as dreamy and fragile as usual, revealing multiple layers of complexity here and there. “Gummy” is a break-up album. The lyrics explore the later stages of a broken heart – “the moment when you have already begun to meet new people and regain your emotional space”, says the singer, whose real name is Cécile Meyer, on her website. Synthesisers, a bubbling bassline and Trontin’s prevalent drums provide the backdrop.
The luxuriant undercurrent and incisive rhythms of Aaron’s electropop are reminiscent of 1990s trip-hop in places – without sounding outdated or old-fashioned. Other moments recall the electronic music of much earlier days.
These elements combined feel effortless and joined up. The instrumentals, which feature the extended “Birthday” and the concluding title track – are particularly mesmerising, incorporating layers of hypnotic repetition. Then there is a sudden whiff of 1970s krautrock.
“Gummy” is a most interesting and pleasurable journey through the Aaron-Trontin musical cosmos. It is a record in constant flux. A stream of sounds and moods, carried along by some unashamedly good pop melodies.
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