Electronica Compilation
I will apologise right from this off with this review. This style of music does absolutely nothing for me and the pretentiousness that tends to be offered with electronica albums of this kind makes me look at it with possibly too harsh a critical eye.
Unfortunately, the minute the vocals start with opening track – Anne Clarke's 'Sleeper in Metropolis' my hackles are raised and I know this album is going to be a long hard slog. In being described as an "electro-punk poetess" Clarke has been given licence to produce lyrics with little depth or meaning whilst simultaneously being able to create a jarring clash between the vocals and the rhythms laid under them. But it's ok...it's art! Track one and already my pretentious alarm is raised and blaring loudly.
And it doesn't get any better from there on in. There's little to hook you in with any of the tracks and throughout this whole album all I can picture are mildly stoned East London hipster types swaying intently in their skinny jeans and winkle pickers. Though, there are some musical merits to this album. There are beats that are quite languid and relaxed and make good background music, but to be honest if I want to listen to that kind of thing I'll stick with Sigur Ros who know how to make truly inspirational music.
Ultimately this album feels like the musical equivalent of the Turner Prize. You listen trying to find some meaning with what's being poured into your ears all whilst pretending that you do "get it" and that it really is innovative and engaging. But all the while that little voice is in the back of your head screaming that it's none of these things and is exactly what you originally thought - shallow, overly pretentious and yawn worthingly boring.