Palms - Palms

Just hearing that the members of Isis were going to do a record with Chino Moreno on vocals was enough for me to give it a record of the year nod, without hearing a note. The music of Isis with Moreno's vocals... How could that be bad?

And Palms is exactly that. Isis with Moreno on vocals. Maybe a little less metal than Isis but Isis none the less. Palms self-titled record is calm and soothing. Even when songs crescendo and explode, Moreno's voice is a constant calm.

The balance between beautiful ambient guitar work and crescendoing peaks is perfect. It's a great soundtrack to get lost in. There aren't layers upon layers to discover. Just well done, beautiful music. It's not complicated, and that's what makes Palms such a great record.

Palms works on every level. It's just good music.