What's a Listening Log? Well, the idea is quite simple. It's a weekly segment that consolidates all the mini-reviews Dozens Of Donuts has given on RateYourMusic over the past week, split between the Past and Present. A straightforward grading scale has been put in place, ranging from A+ to F-, with C acting as the baseline average. There is no set amount of reviews per week, just however many I get around to reviewing. And don't expect week-of reviews. I wait one month - with at least three listens under my belt - before I rate and review an album. Enjoy!
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In terms of straightforward Ambient without a hook, line, or sinker, WHΛLTHISИEY's Thisintoxica hits all the right notes. Curiosity arises within the first few moments of 'Allta,' as crunching synthesizers pester and prod - like an alien festering on mechanical parts - over more opaque, Droning synthesizers, giving off an extraterrestrial sensation, devoid of emotional tether. Space is used precisely, with complete disregard for pattern or purpose. Thisintoxica doesn't just exist in the ether, it is the ether. Fabric bends, breaks, and abides by no physical laws.
Apart from 'Apparta,' which feels like a recontextualized version of 'Allta,' each remaining passage views this all-consuming void from different angles. 'Angl' is sparse and ominous, drifting without intent. Memories, events, transgressions; they all pass by, like the last remaining sparks from a magnetic flame. As for Thisintoxica's two best affairs, 'Showm' and 'Venen,' WHΛLTHISИEY incorporates dense nostalgia - levels beyond Boards Of Canada's already-faded photographs - to compound eons of historical matter into a nebulous haze that's neither uplifting or demoralizing. It's quite the predicament to find yourself strapped into, so vacillating that one begins to question if the emotion were ever really there.
As with all Ambient-related releases, take my apathetic score with a grain of salt. In my opinion, praise comes with purpose, of which Thisintoxica seems strictly unconcerned with. And that's okay, art is malleable, and WHΛLTHISИEY's brand of Ambient sure as hell is.
C
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2020 | Neo-Psychedelia | Listen
STUCK IN A DOWNPOUR OF PAINT, GLITTER, & GLEE
Pet Shimmers' brand of Neo-Psychedelia is one to get lost in. Some would say that's predictable given the nature of the genre, but many associating with psychedelic endeavors have seemed to lose that over the years. Much like Face Down In Meta, Trash Earthers descends into a cornucopia of sound, muddled by exotic gooeyness and schizophrenic spontaneity. At times, it borders on exhaustion without intent, rolling in a deluge of commotion like a pig in a puddle of mud. The melodies, found only while sifting that mire in hopes of forgotten gems, rises Pet Shimmers' style out of certain inanity. The lyrics are still concealed, opaque, and largely inconsequential given Oliver Wilde and Lexie Jennings' harmonizing muzzle, but there's beauty to discover in that brimming, sometimes harsh Lo-Fi aesthetic.
All of this, to an ear untuned, bears with it the markings of a double-edged sword. Almost every track, excluding the acoustic closer 'Inside The Truest Center Of Anything,' faces identity issues whilst not presently ingesting it. Skip through and you'll suffer the delirium of fortuity, as difficulties in discerning distinction will likely become Pet Shimmers' undoing if progress isn't made in establishing single-track flavor. However, this is only an issue album-wide. Finding those pockets, be it the thrusting rambunctiousness of 'Snake Eats A Lady' (which borders on Hyperpop), the horn-induced climax of 'Imber,' or the hand-holding, sunshine jaunt of 'Overboard's' chorus, is possible with attention and interest. Everlasting? Perhaps not. But that may come with time as Pet Shimmers are poised to rise the ranks of Indie in the coming years.
B-
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