Title: Almanac
Artiste: The Deaf Aids
Genre: Electronic
Familiarity: I've heard I think two of Plainview's albums before...
1. Inertia: Nice, very nice sax opening then some feedback or something. Weird guitar stuff? This is why I don't like Plainview's music and Frownland probably does: he starts off with a good melody and then starts messing and experimenting. I'm sure it's very clever but it's not something I like to listen to personally. One more reason why I intend to stop accepting recs for people's personal albums. This isn't too bad to be fair.
2. Let's be lonely together: This has some nice synthwork; something phasing? Sounds pretty good when it falls back to just that sound. Then other synths come in. Still quite pleasant. Some sampled sounds now? Voices? Gaining in intensity. This all works quite well. Peppy synth coming back in and the beat is picking up. Yeah, like this one.
3. Packed in: Big kind of roaring wind sound, then either heavy steps or breathing, and what sounds like milk bottles being tapped. Vocoder? Heavy (looped?) piano, very bassy. Few samples coming together. Milk bottles are back. Kind of a honking synth taking the tune mostly. More bassy piano as it ends. Badly, I'm afraid.
4. You are not awake: Shark in the water! Get out of the water! And he's playing a solo on a guitar too! Samply synth added in now and I think that may be digital piano now? That's quite nice, then there's something like a spaceship flying to and fro, unless it's whalesong. Guitar is back now. Same solo so assume that's a sample. Gone now. Piano only. Bippy synth on the edges. Went into something of a dirge, which was annoying, then ended on that piano again.
5. Perfect plastic replica: Has a little more of a cohesive feel of tuneful melody about it but still not really the kind of thing I want to listen to I'm afraid. Bit plodding too.
6. Erase me: Nice sort of Supertramp-y sax with a kind of industrial vibe. That could have been harmonica just now. Or possibly not. Nice combination of synth and piano there at the end.
7. Alienation: Making a cup of coffee? Then climbing the stairs? Yeah, this one is a little too weird. Nice funky bass, but again for me the tune doesn't go anywhere or do anything. I know it doesn't have to, but I prefer it to. Some nice interesting samples change it up, but they just kind of add to the overall weirdness. But then again, I suppose it is called “Alienation”. Did he just use the Windows start sound?
8. Fog: Has that Floyd “On the run” sound about it. Is that sampled? No, he wouldn't do that! Nice peppy horns or synth. Pretty cool really.
9. Reheated: Kind of sounds like a pig got loose in the studio! And a guy walking around with a tuba chasing it, trying to catch it. Put the tuba down man! You'll have a much better chance that way!
Gone into a slower, more laidback groove now and it sounds like the pig has been replaced by a dog. That's definitely harmonica though. Nice sort of strings keys at the end. I'll actually change this from White to Orange.
10. I don't want any trouble: This has a nice sort of slow, orchestral feel to it, then something like glass harp, though I'm sure it's not. Nice melody throughout mostly. One of my favourites here. Like the way it speeds up almost techno-lite at the end.
11. Kids in glass cages: Nice mix of a sort of industrial feel merging with an older lounge music/jazz thing. Pretty cool closer really.
End result: Well of all Plainview's music I've listened to this is the first I've actually been able to pick out some tracks on which I liked. Which is not to say his music is bad, not at all, just usually not my kind of thing. This still isn't, not really, but it's definitely the best of his I've listened to.
So, Love or Hate? One step up then. Not a Love but a good strong
Like.