scoundrel, May 17, 2006
Isan’s LUCKY CAT distinguishes itself by its startling simplicity. In a world of cluttered IDM, their tracks come through clean and distilled. “Cutlery Favours,” for instance, keeps its palette simple, allowing the melodic beauty to come through. “Fueled,” steeped in ambience as it is, whistles with delicate emotion. And although “Recently in the Sahara” does display Boards of Canada influences (as do other tracks), its sweeping qualities and low, rumbling tones help alleviate the similarities. The tempo changes in “Kittenplan A” keeps the listener on his toes, while “Cathart” tweets as pretty as a bird in the spring. “Scraph” puts some concrete rhythms into the mix and “You Can Use Bamboo as a Ruler” closes out the album on a gentle note, clicking its way into silence. Nice.
4.3/5 (