New Music: SBTRKT

By Jason Herring, October 23 2014 —

London electronic producer Aaron Jerome, better known as SBTRKT, released his sophomore effort, Wonder Where We Land, on Oct. 7 following a wildly successful debut album.

In 2011, SBTRKT rose to fame  with his self-titled debut that deftly fused dubstep, garage and soul music. A defining trait of the music was the inclusion of guest vocalists, a trend that continues on Wonder Where We Land.

The collaborations on the album create something far greater than the sum of their parts. This is most evident on the album’s best track, “New Dorp. New York.,” featuring Ezra Koenig of Vampire Weekend.

Everything about the song feels perfect. The throbbing bass that backdrops Koenigs glorious falsetto, the charming absurdity of the lyrics, the way the beat collapses after the chorus. It’s an utterly infectious song, and the most fun track to drop this year.

The album features show-stopping guest spots from Jessie Ware on the smooth “Problem (Solved),” and A$AP Ferg on the hip-hop banger “Voices in My Head,” which closes the album.

Unfortunately, noteworthy songs only standout  because of the vocals. The beats on the album are at best forgettable, at worst grating. The collaborators on a lot of these tracks are tasked with resurrecting a song, when they should be there to provide the finishing touches.

While Wonder Where We Land has a few spectacular tracks, they are not enough to carry an album that feels largely unfinished.