Gabriel & Dresden BY Gabriel & Dresden Reviewed by Jason Shaffner    With their eponymous artist album debut, San Francisco-based Gabriel & Dresden attempt to break the thin gray lines differentiating the electronica sub-genres (e.g., house, trance, and progressive house/trance) to build their unique sound. This album, though far from perfect, is exceptional in its audacity to intermingle remix-ready electronica with catchy techno-influenced pop/rock tunes. It does not always work, but on the whole, it is a noble attempt, and one well worth the listen.Although Gabriel & Dresden marks their first full-length album of original music, Josh Gabriel and Dave Dresden are far from newcomers to the techno landscape. Recording as Motorcycle, their single “As the Rush Comes,” popularized by superstar DJ Armin van Buuren, was one of the top club anthems of 2003. Similarly, their original instrumental track “Arcadia” (2005) has appeared in album releases from many of the world’s top DJs, including Tiësto and Ferry Corsten. Gabriel & Dresden, released in the U.S. in mid-August 2006, takes the potential of these successful singles and expands it into twelve boundary-stretching tracks. The album is not ready-made for Club Space or Crobar, and it does not try to be. Instead, Gabriel & Dresden choose to focus on doing what they do best: bringing together strong hooks, insightful lyrics, and powerful vocals atop a measured trance beat. Among the instrumental tracks, “Eleven” (featuring Scarlett Etienne) stands out, and will undoubtedly be a remix staple in coming months. “Sydney” also shines. But this album belongs as much to featured vocalists Molly Bancroft and Jan Burton as it does to Gabriel & Dresden. Bancroft receives songwriting credits on three of the four tracks she performs on the album, the exception being “Dust In The Wind,” which proves a rather banal treatment one might expect from lesser DJs. Fortunately, her performance elsewhere more than compensates for that one misstep. “Let Go,” the solid pop tune that opens the album, deserves attention from mainstream radio, and “Closer” is my favorite track. Her tour de force performance, however, graces the high octane “Tracking Treasure Down.” The hands-down signature track of this album, has already proven its mettle, charting #1 on UK and US dance music charts earlier this year, “Tracking Treasure Down” is the kind of song Gabriel & Dresden built their reputation on. Jan Burton’s vocals, ethereal and light, final syllables often abandoned in mid-air, may be an acquired taste for some. Still, his sound is a perfect fit for “Dangerous Power” and “Enemy,” excellent tracks that make up for the weaker “Not Enough” and “New Path.” Gabriel & Dresden is a delicate balancing act: the rich vocals of Molly Bancroft versus the wispy Jan Burton, throbbing nightclub rhythms versus pop-influenced radio-ready tracks. Despite these attempts at balance, or perhaps because of them, Gabriel & Dresden will not suit all tastes. Those expecting twelve progressive trance clones of “As The Rush Comes” may be disappointed, and listeners brought here on the strength of a rollicking pop track such as “Let Go” will likely balk at the unabashedly techno “Sydney.” The challenge of this album is that it does not fit neatly with any particular niche audience; this is also the record’s strength. I am excited to see where they take us next. |  |
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