I caught the original Inventions LP last year, and was intrigued by the side project of Explosions in the Sky guitarist Mark T. Smith and Eluvium composer Matthew Cooper. The blend of ambient music and cathartic post rock my seem like opposing dynamics, but it worked very well. It's good to know that some things never change.
That is not to say that the new LP from this side project is more of the same. Though it has dreamy and ambient textures, it also incorporates some more rhythmic elements resembling some electronica, and incorporates some vocal samples as well. This does nothing to disturb the mood, however, and the free flowing songs with great transitions ensure the listener is never taken out of the enveloping soundscape. The experimental and highly processed guitar tones blend very well with the electronics, including drum machines, drones, experimental loops and symphonic strings. This album has a very hypnotic quality, but unlike a lot of material that elicits the same result, it is far from repetitive. It always seems like there's a new sound coming through the mix and evolving the songs over time.
I feel like this album could definitely have a lot of fans, as this project transcends genres and shows a lot of influences that produced it. If you are a fan of ambient music or instrumental post rock, this should definitely be something to check out. This could probably appeal to some shoegaze and dream pop fans as well, and it's definitely a calming album to listen to; one that can make great incidental music for your life, but also, if you really listen, can surprise you with its detailed and diverse sounds and production.
Out of a total of five stars, I give this:
I'll be back later to share my opinions on Strangers to Ourselves, To Pimp a Butterfly, and Jenny Death in some mini reviews. I thought of giving them all separate reviews, but I'm sure all of these records, for their own reasons, will be talked to death, so I won't try to bore you with the same thing every other person is going to say.
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