Shrimpnose is a producer originally from Minneapolis but now based in Los Angeles. He’s been releasing music since the mid-2010s, with his projects coming at a pretty steady pace. His last release, a collaborative EP with Joe Nora called Between Dunes, came out just about a year ago. He now returns with a new solo album, Under Fire!.

While Shrimpnose has been versatile his whole career, Under Fire! sees him moving further in this IDM/Indie rock space than he’s ever gone before. Especially in the first half of the album, it’s hard not to think back to the early ‘00s, and how this project would have been right at home alongside releases from Daedelus, Her Space Holiday, and Dntel. Now, that’s not all there is to Under Fire!. As you make your way through the album, Shrimpnose finds space to bring in some modern sounds, particularly those of hip hop and R&B. He also brings in plenty of guests such as maxime., Lhasa Petik, Arbour, Afternoon Bike Ride, quickly, quickly, Somni, BLOOD $MOKE BODY, and Bobby Raps, who help to round out the sound and take the album in these different directions. It then falls upon Shrimpnose as the lead artist and producer to tie all of this together, and he does a really good job of tying all of these elements together and having his instrumental songs stand up next to the vocal tracks. It’s a very peaceful and beautiful album overall, with a touch of melancholy that allows for a lot of reflection as you’re listening to it. The only problem with the album is that for all f the guests that Shrimpnose brings in, not everyone is contributing on the same level. In particular, BLOOD $MOKE BODY and Bobby Raps feel like they are phoning in their guest spots, leading me to eventually skip the tracks on repeat listens. Fortunately, this is a very full album with a lot of really well-developed and ambitious compositions, so it doesn’t hurt the album too much.

Under Fire! isn’t perfect, but there is still a lot to like from Shrimpnose’s latest album. It’s ambitious in its scope and he finds a unique blend of styles and influences, and he takes the time to craft some really beautiful songs along the way.