Kranky are masters at putting out LPs that are beautiful soundscapes, (Tim Hecker is another exponent of this stuff) so I shouldn’t be surprised at how good this LP is.
Nudge – As Good As Gone
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Okay so I only stuck it on my review pile because the cover artwork hit a chord, but since when has that been a crime? Luckily As Good As Gone turned out to be pretty darned good too. Harmo is a dreamy delight; an angelic, breathy female voice floats about drugged harmonica and weird programming sounding like some chamber concert relayed by sonar. Two Hands is a beautiful drugged walkabout, trading on echoing effects, slithery percussion and a soul tinge not a million miles away from Isaac Hayes’ Black Moses groove.
Kranky are masters at putting out LPs that are beautiful soundscapes, (Tim Hecker is another exponent of this stuff) so I shouldn’t be surprised at how good this LP is. Aurolac has more of a bustle about it, its vibe is still reflective, but between the plaintive vocals, the bass part lends the feel of a Fassbinder soundtrack. Near the end it morphs into an elegiac clatter that is not far off AR Kane’s 69 LP. The Fassbinder/Conny Plank vibe is also prevalent in Tito, the gloopy bass mixing well with the off-centre synth parts. The last two tracks, Burns Blue and Dawn Comes Light return to the dreamy sound-scapes of the LP’s beginning, Dawn Comes Light a particularly impressive slow burn-out.
All in all, another great ambient electronica release.
Words: Richard Foster