Album Reviews: January 24 2022: Eve Adams, TELESKOP + WOODEN PEAK, Le Lounge, Galvornhathol, Coral Club
Photo by Hayes Potter
folk
I've had Metal Bird by Eve Adams playing in my kitchen all morning. The slow burning sensorial landscapes Adams paints with elongated song structures have gone well with my hypnopompic coffee. The mixes contain layers of ear candy buried beneath the candid and direct vocal delivery of the songs. La Ronde, the track which stood out to me the most, poses the difficult question "If love is just conviction, how convicted are you?" to the song's antagonist over a bed of soothing piano, guitar, and synth. If there are a few potholes on the road ('A Walk in The Park', 'Prisoner') they serve to add some contrast to the pretty embellishments made, most efficiently on closer 'My Only Dream'. Slow music for slow days.
★★★½
Human | Machine | Nature - TELESKOP + WOODEN PEAK
ambient/post-rock/jazz
Restraint and exploration are the names of the games played here by this German outfit. A group of musicians gathered in an abandoned factory to create this scenic journey through electronics, samples, guitars, percussion, trombone and bass clarinet. The effects are not always as one would hope for, but it isn't until more ebullient passages break in do you realise that the group know exactly what they're doing. This dynamic is showcased well on highlight Turbinenhalle, which builds from ruminative meanderings to a joyous and musical climax. The closing duo of Graureihersee I and Graureihersee II offset bucolic acoustics with a jazzy post-rock hybrid. How do humans, machines and nature co-exist efficiently? Although I don't have any answers, it's great when music can get you to ask yourself such questions.
★★★★
pop/hip-hop
Cool waves of synth-pop grooves can be found washing all over Crash, the new album from Quebecois hip-hop artist Le Lounge. Chaussée uses minimal drums, solid bass and catchy vocal hooks to create a sunny summer Saturday mood. On quieter moments, like on the excellent 'Facile', Le Lounge reveals his more sentimental side. This side comes across even stronger on closing track Dernière, a piano driven lament on a complicated romance. Overall this is a solid album, and while ultimately a little too long for what it is, has many delights to offer those who give it time.
★★★½
metal
The second installment in a trilogy of albums by German metal band Galvornhathol is a well produced and viciously intense listening experience. The project is, according to the group, "A rough but positive ode to life, nature and living in tune with your consciousness." I have a sneaking suspicion that Galvornhathol's goal is to act as a tapeworm, tunneling its way into your innards until you wake up to the fact you are in fact a conscious soul in a turbulent ecosystem. Tracks such as the wonderful, sometimes hooky, Before the Fall, and the dramatic cinema-like experience of Was Fehlt, highlight the groups ability to construct an interesting, full-bodied metal song. Album highlight Sword of the Sun, matches pretty orchestral-backed interludes with brutal and precision metal playing; Impossibly quick drums, over the top solos, and the sounds of vocal chords reaching their limits.
★★★★
ambient/electronic
Russian ambient/experimental producer Alexander Sirenko’s second outing as Coral Club is a thoughtful collection of electronic landscapes. Turn to Blue is a ruminative track, ghostly signals being molded around deep foundations of sonic layers. When the synth pulse of Awakening in the Golden Rays of the Sun merges with distant keys and smooth brass sonics, you can't help but to get lost in the ambiance created, your attention being held by the percussive experiments and unique samples which unfold as the track progresses. Overall a strong release and an enjoyable listen that has a nice balance of experimental intentions and more accessible turns.
★★★½