KHONNOR - Softbo

First love, there's no denying it, is never forgotten. It's something that always stays under your skin, that makes your eyes light up at the mere thought of it, that stirs real emotion. And it manages to be so special and unique that even when it's gone, all you can do is remember it with a veiled sadness.

Khonnor, despite his young age, hung up his boots after the dazzling "Handwriting", released in 2004 by the far-sighted Type. Its veiled traits of placid melancholy, paired with crystalline vocoder and honeyed strings, made his debut a gem of pop and electronica.

Maybe it was unexpected success, maybe just the urge to turn his hand to something else, who knows. What's certain is that the end of 2008 brought a very pleasant surprise from the then twenty-two-year-old. Four years on, "Softbo Ep" is the result of some sessions that seem to follow the do-it-yourself motto. An Ep as brief and minimal as it is dense and joyous.

Seven tracks and under twenty minutes of finely chiselled, faintly retro sonic interplay: that's "Softbo Ep". The driving beat combined with seventies psychedelic fascinations on "Nibble-O" and the indietronic textures that build "Pea Mag Gourmet" are detailed in their care yet feel spontaneous in their flow. But the record's quality also shines through in its sudden shifts of register ("Kite Tits" and "Infirmary 2") and in the spacey flights of "Calico Dong Veil". And anyone who doesn't believe shoegaze, songwriting, electronica and psychedelia can coexist should listen to the mantra of "An Ode To Gary Giggles".

Morr-style indie-pop, after years of continuous leaps in quality, is going through a low tide. "Softbo Ep", in its immediacy, points the way forward. A precious and above all satisfying mini-work. Just one favour, Khonnor: let's not lose touch.

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21/12/2008