I’d never heard Chris’s stuff before this. After listening to it, I realize what an egregious error that was on my part. Somehow Chris is able to effortlessly reference ambient, noise, and bits of guitar without seeming crowded. What’s more impressive is he’s able to do this in less than 30 minutes.
All of this is technically experimental, but what binds the stuff together is an emotional flow, rather than any sonic kind. This makes it a bit more direct and personal than your average run of the mill experimental release. The passages all indicate a different sort of concern (worry, if you will) and it progresses as such.
“Worries” begins as a near whisper. Color is added as the piece develops, becoming warmer and warmer as it reaches its conclusion. It flows perfectly into the next song “Blinders” my personal favorite on the album. Genres don’t exist for whatever “Blinders” might be, but I’d be tempted to call it “Post Surf Rock”. It is the kind of thing you’d listen to on the beach after you’ve finished surfing or swimming. Sun shines on you as you sit, tired but happy staring blankly into the distance. That’s the kind of feeling I get from this expansive song. A melody comes out so sweet out of the distortion in the second part. Maybe the album could’ve begun with this, but it is nice having this as the logical conclusion of the first track.
“Silences” uses the effects to create the illusion of a rhythm where none exists. Later on the underlying sounds of “Silences” is used in “Keys” with its treated sounds. Guitars guide you out with the sweet song “Anxieties”. Here you actually are treated to the most straightforward approach, which seems to be distantly related to the earlier song “Vents”.
Everything connects well on this large EP/small album. I might need to explore the rest of this guy’s discography.
Listen to it: Here