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In 2008 Ernest Green’s moniker, Washed Out, became a touchstone for the influential “chillwave” micro-genre, known for its tendency to morph lush and hazy atmospherics with 80’s synth pads, mournful vocals, and a hearty dose of modern R&B bump. Chillwave concoctions can be psychedelic, woozy and warm- a moody music that at its best moves with slow, sultry steps and at its worst becomes a strange experiment in bedroom electronics and whiny, emo sensitivity.
With his new offering, Within and Without, Green proves himself capable of moving forward while the expected hype surrounds the release. Production is more refined and precise than on the Life is Leisure EP which reveled in its homespun and slatternly sound quality (another hallmark of chillwave). Within and Without, however, is a much more laconic album that simply bumps harder. Synth pads are even more pronounced and warmer as they resonantly fill the tracks with cozy reverb. “Echoes” signifies a break from the first record early on as Green drops a dubby, tech-house influenced beat and turns up the tempo. The icy, ambient underpinnings remain, reminding us how much chillwave owes to its electro-gothic predecessor. These rhythms however, are inspired by a much more modern and harder glitch-hop sound.
Within and Without is less about individual songs and more about the bigger picture of the entire soundscape. While still conjuring the nostalgic feeling of sweet longing that lies at the heart of chillwave, a new groovy backbone emerges, occasionally shifting toward a Boards of Canada vibe. Steady, heady, and hypnotic, Green shows he has the talent and tenacity to stick around.
