Hmmmn. Not too sure I’ve really connected with this. Not sure why, as it bears all the usual watermarks of good taste: trancey tribal rhythms, a menagerie of smooth keys and jazz filters, ambient grooves, an element of funk, a few curves. If it was Air I’d probably be preparing the most kindly of accolades. And if it was Four Tet I’d probably be wetting myself, so the fact that ‘Soft Hand Feel’ is by a fairly anonymous looking Toronto-based collective (that’s Canada, you prick) is hardly likely to change my initial impression greatly. It’s nice – but its not marvellous, in the same way an evening down the local with your nearest and dearest is nice but an evening out with your mates is so much better. It’s that element of the unpredictable that’s missing. When your mate drums up enough courage to go and talk that respectable looking bint flashing her hotdogs to all and sundry, and you don’t whether he’s going to bang or going to bomb? That’s what you’re looking for here; a few risks, a few twists, the promise of a slap as much as a tickle, and as imaginatively titled and smooth flowing as tracks like ‘Eagle Sprouts’ and ‘Japan Cakes’ are, the tired beats and the inadequate riffing makes for a fairly predictable evening. Sure it’s more ‘organic’ than your average tech-head – but that’s more of an issue when you’re talking about fruit and veg rather than electronica.
Anyway, if itchy downtempo with a drum n bass tip is where your butt is at, then this is at least handsomely packaged: a lively looking CD/DVD digipak set featuring (in additional to the album) seven different music videos by various Toronto film directors plus mp3/iPod ready files and bonus remixes.