scoundrel, Jan 02, 2008
Cool, icy, minimal: thats Matthew Dears _2007_ (under his False alias) in a nutshell. From the mysterious drones that lead in "Meat Me in the Market," Dear takes a straightforward rhythm and ornaments it with simple loops that always seem to hover right outside your consciousness. The tracks are segued in a way that the divisions seem meaningless; the resonanting bass notes the appear halfway in "Alright Liar" ease seamlessly into the high, spectral tones of "Plus Plus." The closest thing youll get to a developed melody tinkles into "Face the Rain," but it, like the other sounds on this album, is merely a brushstroke on a larger canvas. The long squeals that punch through the haze on "Fed on Youth/H L M/ D L G" come almost as a revelation, even as its echoed in the next track. For a guidepost comparison, Id point to I. A. Bericocheas _Rojo_ (also on M_nus). Though I feel that _Rojo_ is more tight, _2007_ is still right up my alley as well.