Savath & Savalas - Golden Pollen

_Golden Pollen_, Scott Herren's third album as Savath & Savalas, starts off familiarly enough with wavy, modulated tones. But he seems much more interested in actual songwriting, rather than the mood-building he constructed with earlier album. Indeed, "Estrella de Dos Caras" is as straightforward as Herren has ever written. _Golden Pollen_ also sees Herren taking the primary role as vocalist, which flattens the album some. Even though he layers his voice to give a choral effect like on "Paisaje," his shortcomings and inexpressiveness still creep in. But the music itself is worth the shortcomings: "Concreto" takes a more cinematic approach, giving over to a wideness of sound, while "Mi Hijo" drifts into a sonic wilderness. The second half of the album eschews the thick layering for cleaner lines, and tinges of melancholy Spanish fados haunt the edges of several tracks, like the more stripped-down "Faltamos Palabras" or "Tormenta de Flor." An flawed album, but a worthwhile one nonetheless.