Hyperbubble: Drastic Cinematic

Hyperbubble's fourth release is a creative U-turn from 2010's Candy Apple Daydreams. It veers away from pop structure, instead venturing into concept-album territory (and San Antonio will not produce another album as thoroughly imagined as this one in 2011). But the electro pop duo of Jess (vocals, keys, percussion) and Jeff DeCuir (vocals, sequencers, synths) are just doing what most musicians ought to: evolve. Drastic Cinematic is a soundtrack for a non-existent film, which frees the DeCuirs to use their slick melodies as themes instead of verses or choruses, per se, and lets listeners fill in the gaps. Opener "Vox Noir" sets the tone, with Jess' voice leading a choir in a dark, ominous drone. Meanwhile, the title track swirls with layered keyboards and unresolved tension, as if to score the discovery of being cuckolded, robbed, or otherwise losing one's innocence. The tune carries over into "Rue Des Dames," a dark sound collage of overheard conversation, synths, and theremin. But the triumph comes with the closing suite, "Welcome to Infinity Parts 1 & 2," where the duo combines synth choirs, twinkling melodies, and a digital symphony into nine minutes of winning. Every San Antonio band should be exploring their sound this successfully