Reporter

Time Incredible (Holocene)

By Emily Becker
Published: August 15th, 2010 | 7:00am

It would be impossible to guess from the music alone that Alberta Poon, Mike McKinnon, and Daniel Grazzini spent seven years playing post-punk under the moniker Wet Confetti before rechristening themselves Reporter. The Portland trio’s sophomore album, Time Incredible, specializes in dance-ready beats and is seeing release courtesy of club-turned-label Holocene Music.

Poon’s voice is broad, bringing to mind both the chill of Ladytron’s Helen Marnie (“Total Fascination”) and the warmth of Alison Goldfrapp (“Lab Test”), yet it’s the balance between the instrumentals and vocals that save Time Incredible from sounding like another generic synth-rock retread. As hypnotic as it is catchy, “Click Shaw” mixes handclaps, riffy guitar, and an ebullient bassline while Poon sing-speaks the words, “We’ll make entire planets / Slow down their orbiting” to great effect. “Geronimo’s Bones” establishes a percussive playground that Poon whispers her way through, while synths and bass drive the instrumental “The Moon” as the guitar carries the melody.

Reporter isn’t breaking any new ground here, but what they lack in ingenuity they make up for in variety. Time Incredible expends all of its energy, and by the time the gentler strains of closer “Love Sounds” begin to play, it’s definitely time to call it a night.

Reported MySpace page

Holocene Music