by Kenyon Hopkin
Marc Bianchi has long been self-conscious about his vocals. In fact, on The Young Machines he even brings it to listeners' attention. &Like that kid who asked me if I knew I couldn't sing/That's like asking a blind man if he knows that he can't see,& he sobs on &Meet the Pressure.& It's not as bad as he thinks, though his soft vocals may still need some fine-tuning. And boy, does he grieve over girlfriends in &Girl Problem& and &My Girlfriend's Boyfriend.& Bianchi may be as gloomy as ever, but after moving from California to Texas and from Tiger Style to Mush Records, Her Space Holiday maintains its lush IDM-powered indie pop. The synthetic string arrangements, most notably on &Sleepy California,& supply heartfelt bliss, as Bianchi's classical music influence is fully explored. &Tech Romance& joins lovely violins with hip-hop beats, further developing Bianchi's production skills. &The Luxury of Loneliness& is gracefully ambient, but with dismal confessions such as &I'm losing all my friends,& someone should keep an eye on this guy.