Atrium is a relatively new group out of the U.S., comprised of vocalist/songwriter Nicolle Ross, and beat artist Zimar Manigault, and their debut album Freefalling is a very smooth, rich trip through a laid back, neo-soul sound. Nicole Ross’s very rich and soulful voice compliments Zimar’s strong, sometimes jazzy, sometimes dark beats, and they have a definite chemistry together.

The album starts off with the title track, Freefalling. Fairly somber sounding and vocal-centric, Nicolle’s rich voice blankets the song very pleasantly. A relaxed, lounge atmosphere is created, but it’s not an ambient song- it demands attentive listening.

Track two is called Afterlife, and it’s more upbeat than the first track, yet it gives off an almost Noir feel. It’s very smooth, more of a club song than a lounge song, but still very ambient, and makes excellent background music for a laid-back atmosphere. Gives off an “after-hours-martini-at-the-jazz-club” kind of feel, if that makes any sense.

In the beginning of the third track, which is called Crying over you, a very strong beat immediately catches your attention. A very soulful song, and Nicolle’s voice sounds very good here, smooth and rich. The song feels right in the middle of emotional states, not quite sad, but not happy either- a state of moving on from hurt perhaps? (That’s my theory.) Intense, yet it still maintains the ability to be used as ambience.

Track four, Save Your Mind, is tough to describe. It’s very electronic sounding, but with a definite jazzy influence. It sounds soulful and slightly dark, but with an “ascending” mood, as if it were written at a time when one was starting to see the brighter side of things after a tough period. At first listen, it sounds as if it should logically be background music, but it’s subtle moods and feelings coerce you into paying attention.

Track five, which is called Wall, is my favorite track. It immediately hooks your attention with a very catchy guitar line, and in general is very smooth sounding. A lounge feel is given off, as with most of the album, and a very laid-back, uplifting sound, despite a minor scale guitar riff (which is used to great effect.) Feels almost noir, thanks in large part to a subtle trumpet playing in the background. The general feeling is dark yet uplifting, as mentioned before. The mood seems outwardly content, yet hinting at a hidden want. This song is also commanding of attention, yet can be used to great effect as background, setting a great mood in the process.

Track six, entitled Stay With Me is more frenetic then their usual sound, and it conveys a sense of urgency in the chorus, which the song starts with. It quickly changes though, as the verses have an African sound to them, with congas being the centerpiece. The lyrics, combined with the music, give off a subtle and most likely unintentional sense of insecurity. The song definitely makes it’s presence felt, and is hard to use just in the background, and it makes sure you give it some thought.

The seventh track, Battlezone, is dark, strong, and slightly pissed off. Very independent sounding, it emanates a take-no-shit attitude, and Nicolle’s voice is in top form. The song is good for either ambience or attentive listening, although paying attention to the song pays off with subtle undertones that would be otherwise missed.

On track number eight, called Judgment, Zimar outdid himself. I love the beat, it flows very well, sounds smooth and slick, and provides a perfect backdrop for a strong and proud equality anthem; The ambient v. attentive listening dynamic is comparable to that of Battlezone in that it’s rewarding to really listen to, but provides good mood music as well.

Track nine is called Underwatermaid. It’s a very interesting song, and it’s much quicker than the slow beats of other tracks, yet it maintains the same general feel, neo-jazzy, laid back, and lounge. Lots of spoken word vocals, in a poetic style.

Track ten, called Green Tea, extols the virtues of said brew. It has a more overtly electronic sound than all of their other tracks, almost like techno. It’s the least lounge like, and most club like- it makes a good ambience, but a different one than the other songs on the album.

All in all, I have to say, I enjoyed this disc. It creates a very relaxed, laid back atmosphere, and is very situational. Perfect for relaxing, the CD generally makes great music to chill to, and I would recommend it to any fans of the acid jazz/trip hop/neo-soul etc. genres.

         album: Freefalling

         artist: Atrium

         label: Abstrakt Reality Records | Organic Girl Music

         year: 2003

         review by Reese Boisse, for tripofagia

         December 2003