Following in the general slew of albums that have eaten up my time this summer by a considerable amount, which have been in some form of dream pop, shoegaze, post-rock, or lo-fi indie, I have come across my first real taste for neo-psychedelia outside of my sampling of Deerhunter and Animal Collective. I'm glad I finally took the time to listen to this, as Apple Music and other outlets I venture on to discover new music were constantly bringing up this album, and I can kind of see why.
I suppose it's most appropriate to start with the stellar and heart-wrenching opening that is the title track. The first song on the album actually still surprises me with it's choral and classical sounding like beauty as it flawlessly evokes the atmosphere and illusion of being in a spaceship and looking at our beautiful, blue planet. I honestly thought for the longest time that the song was driven on the melody of the eternally recognizable Canon by Johann Pachelbel, but it's not. It just sounds really close to it, but it's not any less stunning then the archetypal melody for weddings and other wondrous events.
But immediately after the astonishing opener that is the title track, comes a succession of songs that I still haven't been able to understand. This is the only problem I have this album. I don't understand why the awkward and seemingly unnecessary medley of tracks 2-4 were put on this album. The second track is entitled "Come Together", and sadly, it isn't a Beatles cover. It exerts it's maximalist qualities just to be as repetitive and uninteresting as possible. The third and fourth track follow a similar formula in that they are just songs with un-entertaining melodies and arrangements that make me feel like they were added in just for filler. I feel so guilty having to admit this, but this is quite a rare occasion where I sincerely hate a group of songs from an album I am otherwise quite impressed with.
The album begins to re-emerge and eventually fully redeem itself with every track after the fourth one, with the kind of space rock songs that I was expecting to hear from the beginning. For quite some time after the worst part of the album, the songs shift between relatively relaxed ballads, noisy jams, and fuzzy improvisations that encapsulate the album until you reach "Broken Heart". Because until then, the album takes a rather intense psychedelic turn, as one might wonder if the band members at the time were actually under the influence of psychoactive drugs when writing these few songs.
"Broken Heart" is more than likely the emotional center piece of such a turbulent album. The softly sung vocals mixed with the orchestral instrumentation over a simple ambient backdrop genuinely makes me feel sad every time I listen to it. Even when there's nothing to feel sad about.
The rest of the album to the end continues in the groovy vein of jam sessions layered in noise, slight feedback, fuzz, and jazz-like elements. Spiritualized even utilizes the stressful yet amusing effect of crescendos on its grand finale, "Cop Shoot Cop..." And other than the noise rock banger of "Electricity" that even features a harmonica in the background, one could say that this album is reminiscent of various parts of King Crimson's and Pink Floyd's discography. But don't try too hard to listen for those particular similarities as you may not actually find them. They're subtly woven into the shoegazy-like fabric of the album.
Despite any criticism I may have for this album, I'm still more than happy with the product as a whole. It wasn't this monumental, mind blowing thing that I was secretly hoping for it to be, but it grew on me fairly quickly. Which is another thing that doesn't really occur when I'm evaluating an album. I usually either love it instantly or I'll begin to like it after about five to eight listens later. It took me about two or three listens to realize it's beauty.
Overall: 8.4 out of 10
No comments:
Post a Comment