Padded Cell is one of those bands whose names fit perfectly: people are either crazy for them or their music makes you feel like they you’re trapped inside of one. Not to say that one side of the fence is ‘right’ and one is ‘wrong,’ but with the buzz that Richard Sen and Neil Beatnik have generated over the past few years on singles alone, Night Must Fall could have been more impressive. Though the duo has a great knack for immersing the warmth and body of the ‘analog’ world with beeps, electronic gurgles and hums that paint portraits halfway between extraterrestrial expeditions and All Hallows Eve, the colors they paint with turn muddy and eventuall run into each other. The first ten minutes (three songs) appear in their winding and creative yet seemingly minimal glory without any vocals at all. But when ‘Word Of Mouth’ strikes, something happens. Something big. With a little help from Chloe Battant, the first appearance of the most undeniably human instrument, la voz, makes everything click together and instantly make sense. It is this fork-in-the-road that is most pivotal. Unfortunately, instead of following the path of integrating more singers and exploring this magical pocket of perfect assembly that has been found amongst the lively percussion, robust guitar and constant synth buzzings, there are very few moments to match. Whether a secret promise to forsake such an element or not, in the end, the key to unlocking their full potential was also forgotten.

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