Record Review: Bret Berry – 'Gestures'

Gestures is a series of sonic vignettes that explores a variety of themes through composer Bret Berry’s expansive range, including found sounds, piano interludes and maximalist leanings. Berry evokes artists ranging from John Cage to Oneohtrix Point Never, creating a conceptual safe space with no real boundaries. While there are a whooping 55 tracks in total, few exceed more than one minute, making for a comparably condensed affair by leaning into the brevity of each track. There are moments of pure bliss, cut with manic blasts of synths and sharply-edited vocals. It’s that contrast between harshness and lightness that defines the album.