Red Night

the hundred in the hands' self-titled debut quickly established them as one of the most compelling new acts of the last few years. after touring that album across the globe, the duo (consisting of eleanore everdell and jason friedman), returned to their dimly-lit new york studio to work on their mesmerizing follow-up, 'red night', via warp records. 'red night' is a self-produced meditation on separation and reunion, love nearly lost and the long night back to it; a chronicle of late-hour pining awash in digital glow. album opener 'empty stations' begins with a haunting string arrangement that is overtaken by a propulsive rhythm and eleanore's spellbinding vocal turns. 'come with me's guitar stabs, icy keyboard, and polyrhythm underscore the lyrical siren's call. the heart broken vocal on 'faded' wraps itself around the spiraling bell and fragile arrangements to devastating effect. the goth r'n'b monster 'stay the night' is a tale of yearning with a seductive slowed-down groove. the vast soundscapes of 'lead in the light' start out sparse and build to an otherworldly climax and then back down again. from the start there was a darkness that was coming out both lyrically and sonically, the songs were all heartbreak and fear of losing something special, trying to find that better light.' red night' is an opportunity to enter the winding tunnels of the hundred in the hands' nocturnal city where time stretches, tempos drop, and guitars plunge rumbling and throbbing out against denser and denser vocals as the story unfolds. the band's boundary-pushing sound is unafraid to marry minimalism and abstraction with big melodies. on 'red night' the hundred in the hands have created an inimitable world that is sure to be one of this year's stadouts.