imadethismistake

Kylewilliam Campol, AKA imadethismistake, offers a blend of minimalist soundscapes combined with off-beat samples, nontraditional instrumentation, and spoken-word poetry. On Campol's second release, The Hypothetical Child's Hypothetical Situation, the one-man band explores the usual themes of heartbreak, lost love, and existential pondering. The album also has samples that sound almost like field recordings running underneath many of the songs. The album begins with the track "We Ration Their Smiles," an acoustic-guitar number topped with (what sounds like) an accordion. Campol seems more concerned with lyrical content than melody, hook, or chorus. As with most of the album, the track abandons traditional song structure in favor of an emotive and insistent delivery of almost shouted vocals. The quality of the recording throughout the release is that of a home-based project, kicking off with Campol asking the engineer if it's time to start — something you'd find on a Neutral Milk Hotel or Bob Dylan recording. While the songs are not of the toe-tapping variety, The Hypothetical Child's Hypothetical Situation gets by on the emotional richness; it's obvious these are genuine feelings of passion and despair. It's a theme that's palpable throughout the album, even if the lyrics tend to be a little trite and over-wrought at times. Imagine a stripped-down Animal Collective meets Jeff Mangum meets Leonard Cohen — plenty of überpassionate, emo-style lyrics free of melody but full of ardor. Campol is holding a CD-release show for his Hypothetical Child at 8 p.m. Tuesday, June 6, at Uncle Sam's Music (4850 N. University Dr., Lauderhill). Call 954-742-2466, or visit www.unclesamsmusic.com.