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Currently, the album of the week is Timo Maas - "Pictures" Pictures is the second artist album from Timo Maas; his debut Loud was a combination of techno and big beat with enough drunken party tunes to give Fatboy Slim a run for his money. Here though, Maas is trying for something a bit different with more emphasis on song structure and arrangements than big hooks. Placebo’s Brian Molko lends vocals to the title track and lead single, "First Day"--the former a deadpan delivery over a very tense, new wave tune made dancey, the latter a catchy radio-friendly piece more akin to "Shifter" from the first album but without the funk.
One of the best things about Pictures is that it gets better and better as the album progresses. The aforementioned tunes are good but not special when compared to the spooky and sonically masterful "High Drama" featuring Neneh Cherry or the progressive epic "4 UR Ears" with long-time collaborator Kelis. Maas’ confidence for composing clever, melodic lines that weave in and out of each other has grown immeasurably for this second album (demonstrated perfectly by "Devil Feel", another indie-dance crossover more in-line with the Chemical Brothers) but the orchestration of synths gives it an edge and more importantly a unique, definitive sound for Maas.
If you’re after pure dancefloor killers then you’d be better getting one of his Music for the Maases remix compilations but if you want something more substantial that’s great for listening, Pictures is the perfect album. --David Trueman
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