Scorn ‎– Plan B

Two Years after the Release of his "Comeback" album 'Greetings From Birmingham', Scorn aka Mick Harris has graced us again with a new full-length release, Plan B. Plan B continues in the vein that began in 2000 with 'Imaginaria Award EP', with harsh, dirty analogue basslines winding around choppy, bottom-heavy hip-hop beats. Again Harris has chosen to create his music using the "less is more" philosophy, but at some points he fills the mix with sound, creating a blanket-like effect. This becomes most apparent during Boss, track 4. The variation to Plan B over its predecessor though is that Harris has attempted to infuse these bizarre soundscapes with more accessible melodies. However, it is perhaps this album's major shortcoming that it does have the feel of a 'Greetings From Birmingham' sequel, as opposed to being a new entity all of its own accord. This is a minor flaw however, in what is essentially a release that will have you nodding your head for a long time. Standout tracks are 'Table Of Charges' (complete with eerie minimal piano samples), 'Boss', 'Channels' and the lurching bass drum fury of 'Way It Is'. There are also original versions of tracks such as 'Dangler', and 'Sleep When Home' which featured as beat mixes on the EP release 'Governor'. Not as Groundbreaking for me as "Birmingham" was, but still an excellent companion to it.