Christchurch based trip-hoppers Doprah continue their stellar trajectory with the release of their debut full-length LP Wasting. The six piece band has been hard at it in the studio for over three years and the result is a fine record.
While comparisons to Massive Attack and The XX are warranted, Doprah’s dark, ambient pop songs clearly stand shoulder-to-shoulder with such illustrious peers rather than paying homage to them. All this is achieved with a balanced mix of electronic beats and effects alongside traditional instruments, particularly melodic and often sparse guitar where the space in between playing is as important as what is being played.
Indira Force’s vocals are the icing on Doprah’s particularly fine cake, recalling Bjork and occasionally The Cocteau Twins’ Elizabeth Fraser. The songs themselves flit between the more poppy Borderline to the throbbing San Pedro and on to the atmospheric, if not downright cinematic, Wormhole. The variety of songs here leads you to conclude that Doprah is a band on top of its game, and while the songs have a different feel, there is no doubt that Wasting stands up as a very ‘together’ record, and one that deserves to be heard over and over again.
