Counter Melodies

Album review

Rather than mount a rigorous tour to support his 2019 semi-orchestral opus, Colours. Reflect. Time. Loss., James Chapman turned instead to DJing as a way to coax new ideas into his music. The English musician -- who operates under the name Maps -- has over the years established himself as something of a creative multi-tool: a singer, songwriter, producer, multi-instrumentalist, and remixer who blurs the lines between various facets of electronic music and the more organic worlds of shoegaze, indie rock, and chamber pop. While dance music can perhaps be read as a subtext within Maps' earlier releases, Chapman brings its influence to the fore on Counter Melodies, his fifth album. A stalwart of the Mute roster since his 2007 debut, Chapman's overall aesthetic has made him a good fit for the eclectic label that helped deliver rangy acts like Depeche Mode, Nick Cave & the Bad Seeds, and Goldfrapp to global audiences. Counter Melodies, with its textured electro-pop sounds and DJ mix-style format, slots right into Mute's eclectic vibe and adds an exciting new dimension to Maps' own discography. As with all of his releases, what Chapman brings to this excursion is warmth and melody. This is not a clinical, or as he describes it "functional," club set, but one with deep sonic layers and songlike structures that inspire not only movement but moods. From the mysterious "Witchy Feel" to the ecstatic "Psyche" and "Fever Dream," Chapman links together an engaging flow that is at times radiant. It's also an interesting move from an artist who hit a career peak on his previous outing and, rather than building on it, instead followed a new muse that resulted in something just as satisfying.
© Timothy Monger /TiVo