A decade after releasing their debut album, Sentinelle, Xeno Oaklander return to their roots on Hypnos and continue the refinement of their sound that began on later albums such as Topiary. After spending several years working exclusively with mono synths, this time Liz Wendelbo and Sean McBride reintroduce polyphonic synths to their music. The lusher, more intricate sounds of these instruments create heightened atmospheres on songs such as "Altamira," where sweeping chords and stair-stepping arpeggios add a frostbitten glamour to Xeno Oaklander's 21st century continuation of coldwave. Thanks to the mix by the duo's live sound engineer Egan Frantz, the clarity of each element on Hypnos adds a hyperreal feel that befits the mythical influences behind its songs. The album's sparkling title track is a love song to the Greek god of sleep that's both dreamy and danceable, thanks in large part to Wendelbo's beckoning whispers. For her vocals on this album, Wendelbo took inspiration from classic singers such as Françoise Hardy and Brigitte Fontaine, and the presence she brings to "Angelique" adds humanity to Xeno Oaklander's sound and holds its own against their synth wizardry. She and McBride find glamour in unlikely places throughout Hypnos: "Insomnia" manages to make sleep deprivation appealing with woozy tones and streaking textures; "The Light the Whisper" silver-plates a winter sky over beats as pointed as icicles; and "A World Without Sun" envisions an apocalyptic environment over one of the album's most insistent rhythms. Filled with surreal soundscapes and fantastical tone poems, Hypnos is a striking album from the duo who pioneered the coldwave renaissance of the 21st century and remain at its forefront. ~ Heather Phares, Rovi

1		Fire and Smoke
2		Hypnos
3		Angélique
4		Insomnia
5		The Light, The Whisper
6		Altamira
7		A World Without Sun
8		Athena

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