I seem to remember (I do remember) really liking the last effort from Daydream Society, so here's a chance for me to sample some more. Originally recced to me in the “Love or Hate?” thread, I moved it here so that it could be better and more thoroughly reviewed.
So let's do that.
Daze End – Daydream Society (YorkeDaddy)
“Obsolescence” gets us going with what sounds like a very jangly guitar and then more solid guitar coming in, bit of feedback with a kind of walking piano line behind it. At first listen, it's nothing like as relaxing and ambient as
For Now but we'll see. A little sparse, perhaps? I find the somewhat squealing and dissonant guitar very much at odds with the solid piano line, which never seems to change the basic melody it plays, and now there's a warped synth getting in on the act. All right, overall I have to say I really don't like this track. Not a great start. The oddly-titled “Existing as a silent film” (where do you guys get your ideas?) comes in on softer organ with a bleepy kind of synth line behind it, going slightly out of tune (I'm sure intentionally) at times, then an acoustic guitar joins, and then the whole synth line falls away leaving only the guitar which is very nice. Piano now joining, but again there are off-key notes which set my teeth on edge and ruin the experience for me. Not quite sure why Yorke wants to play music intentionally out of tune; I prefer mine more harmonious. Abrupt ending is very annoying.
Still a vast improvement on the opener, slightly progressive rock or folk in a way, then “Nailed down” is one of the longer tracks, nearly five minutes which opens with a weather report ore something but mixed and scratched which again is not something that appeals to me. After a minute or so though thankfully it settles down and a big whooshing synth breathes its way in, very spacey and atmospheric and stately. Guitar begins in a kind of Floydesque way in the background, though it hasn't got going yet, as the synth holds court. I guess it's a bit expressionist really, no real tune as such but a lot of effects and I suppose it's meant more to conjure a mood than create a melody. Maybe. Oh fu
ck! That annoying taped voice is back. Ruined the ending. “Ataxia” brings a return of the whooshing synth swirling around and now a rather nice gentle guitar with maybe digital piano or something? Hopefully it will settle down on this; one thing that bugs me about electronic musicians (or at least, the ones I've listened to) is that they never seem to be able to leave a track alone. Once the melody is established I'd prefer it to continue along those basic lines, but some composers tend to want to warp, split and turn the thing in on itself. Very unsettling, I find.
Luckily this one seems to be holding, with a sort of oriental-sounding keyboard and then what I think may be a sampler. Certainly my favourite so far, though I haven't really liked anything up to this. “Happy madman” is just under two minutes and brings in a deep, lush synth and electric piano in a slow, graceful melody with other little bippy synths adding their voices; kind of sounds a little like that sound the old modems used to make before connecting to the internet. What do you mean, there was always broadband? Think again. Guitar now snarling in but all of a sudden everything just stops, as if the tape was cut off unexpectedly. Disappointing. “Last daze” has another repeating synth line and some very metallic sounding effects and oh crap here comes a spoken line. Sigh. The music has now become appropriately funereal to tie in with the speech, which seem to be something of an elegy.
To be honest, I'm not enjoying this anywhere near as much as I hd expected to. On the album's page, Yorke says he hopes people will see this as a journey, from his schooldays to where he is now, but I don't see it. If that's the case, what's a funeral sequence doing in the middle of the album, unless it's to do with the death of the young, irresponsible Yorke as he finishes school and one way of life ends? Possibly. I don't know. That's my best guess anyhow. The voice has gone now and crashing powerchords take me by surprise – I'm sure there's some artistic reason for this, but it just jars me. “Paradox nights” has promise, starting on a rippling piano line, though I do wonder what Yorke has in store for me this time? It's becoming slightly like a joke at my expense: start off nice and “normal”, reel him in then BAM! Hit him with dissonance, an annoying voice or weird effects, or just chop the damn thing up till it's no longer recognisable. So far though this is going ok, with some buzzy synth coming in and samplers again.
“Brink” slides in on a gorgeous lush synth line, almost putting me in fear of what he's going to do to the melody. Jumpy little synths now coming in, piano too I think, all very nice; upbeat and cheerful. Gets a little intense but not too chaotic. Not bad. I don't like how “If we could levitate” begins, all screeching synths sped up, but then it settles into a nice piano groove with some samplers giving it again a sort of Far Eastern feel at times. Then there's a very African rhythm near the end. Hmm. The longest track is “Savior signals”, and opens with what I take to be an evangelist wittering on and I think I can hear a guitar very distant in the background. Nearly two minutes in and now we have a shimmery dark synth and organ setting up a kind of almost musical chant and then some mad runs on the keys, almost like video game music. Turning into something like an Irish reel now, getting very fast and frenetic. Another five minutes then for “Fixated”, which again starts off on a nice gentle piano and for once stays kind of in that same vein throughout. A second favourite now. If only all the others did the same, but what do I know?
I know the next track is called “Rising time” and has again that vaguely oriental synth sound – much more prevalent this time, also sounds a little like clocks, which I guess is the clue in the title. Much of this album sounds like it could be the soundtrack to some video game or other, though I don't know much about them either. This is relatively pleasant, and there's certainly a feeling of the melody rising as it progresses, so well done there Yorke. The final track is “When our winter ends” and it's generally nice and relaxing, soft synth, smooth melody, nice ending to what has been generally a hard album for me to appreciate, and something of a major disappointment. Oh, and fu
ck that poxy voice once again right at the end.
Actually, not so bad this time, bit of poetry or prose, fits in well. Could have been worse.
TRACK LISTING AND RATINGS
1. Obsolescence
2. Existing as a silent film
3. Nailed down
4. Ataxia
5. Happy madman
6. Last daze
7. Paradox nights
8. Brink
9. If we could levitate
10. Savior signals
11. Fixated
12. Rising time
13. When our winter ends
I really had had high hopes for this, but they were pretty much dashed by the third track, and though it picked up here and there I am generally very let down by this album. I know everyone wants to be creative and different, but for me anyway, among all this experimentation the music gets lost along the way, and that's a sad thing.
Or, you know, maybe it's just me.