Never Enough Notes e-zine // reviews + interviews + music

The words to describe this album of ‘indie’ and ‘electronic’ may scare some or paint a picture of a computer junkie creating music with no soul, passion or intent other than being the next big thing. Well, you’re wrong. Particularly with this album which is a fine blend of soft sounds, beautiful melody and an obvious love.

‘Player Piano’ opens with a 0.43 second intro, ‘Musicbox (in)’ something that suggests what’s in the box before the wrapping is undone. No pun intended. ‘Wait In The Dark’ starts and it seems to hold back on no punches. When the drum beat kicks things off to what you may, in the early bars, think as a vague repeat of the intro. It’s packed full of melody and rhythm.

Moody and slightly sombre ‘Today Is Our Life’. Once 1.04 is reached you’re suddenly woken to a thriving beat that clearly had being waiting for its release. The guitar work and constant evolution of the track keep you fixed. ‘Yes I Know’ puts me in more mind of an Arcade Fire track that’s seeking it’s home on one of their albums. A haunting backdrop is crafted so well.

An 80’s retro feel can be heard in the bass line of ‘Offers’ and even in the vocals. This theme doesn’t escape from running through the whole song but does change from a pop to an indie orientation reminiscent of The Cure in places.

A whisked pot of strange sounds, harmonised vocals and trip-hop beats create the instrumental ‘Humming’ and leads to me be to strangely addicted to its quirky nature.

‘Sun Hits’ for some unknown reason reminds me of the California 80’s with a beach scene. The song certainly is driven but to me doesn’t break through or offer anything new compared to the other tracks.

‘Worries’ paired with ‘Wait In The Dark’ are my favourite tracks on the album. ‘Worries’ could be fantastic live with a simple instrument line-up and a loop pedal. I think this would be the single if any from the album. It’s possibly its jazzy/60’s retro touch that appeals so much to me.

‘Fell Through Ice parts 1 & 2’ aren’t really related in terms of their mood. Part 1 doesn’t have any peaks or lows but sits on a bed of sounds to meander and carve a mellow track. Part 2 barks a similar offer and uses a drum beat to pick the track up. This is a repeated technique that is effectively used throughout the whole album.

‘Trance Sisters Out’ is more choppy and experimental to what we’ve heard so far. The vocal delivery seems more confident and is brought further forward in the mix. The touch of dub step isn’t difficult to miss either. ‘Music Box (Out)‘ is effectively, you’ll be surprised to hear from the name, an extended version of the intro.

As I’ve touched on you could say that most of the songs on here aren’t single-friendly. This is really irrelevant, as the album I would say was made with the intention of being seeing seen as a whole. It doesn’t feel rushed but not thought about too much in the process, just a perfect blend of both.