:: GussetBLOG ::

:: Saturday, October 11, 2003 ::

Album review: Plaid – ‘Spokes’ (Warp)



Plaid’s fourth studio album was originally intended to be an EP which “would highlight the tougher, darker, more slamming tracks from the backbone of their live shows.” This is true to a degree, although several of the tracks represent more of the classic Plaid sound and even reminiscent of their Black Dog era. The slow melodic start, ‘Even Spring’, with almost twee keyboard parts and vocals reminiscent of some of Robert Plant’s anguished ramblings seems not to fit into either camp. As this is disrupted by the occasional bass note the track builds up to an unexpected midway change to a faster, full-on, glitchy, acid workout that sets the tone for the rest of the album. There is more of the live style Plaid in evidence on the warm sounding, fast paced, ‘Crumax Rins’, the driving Drum & Bass of ‘Marry’, the bouncy ‘Get What You Gave’, and the fantastically lively ‘Buns’. The duo’s dreamier side come across in ‘Upona’ (with synths that remind me of the school programs I watched in the late 80’s) and the slow, Jarre like ‘B Born Droid’. The highlights for me are the darker moments, like the moody final track ‘Quick Emix’ and the sinister, almost menacing, ‘Zeal’. Overall this is an album that can be listened to in two different ways, as a background music chill-out album it works brilliantly, but at high level it is only reminiscent of the live experience in a few places so about half of the track would have to be skipped if this was used as a party album.

Spokes is released on Monday 20.10.03 and is available for preorder now from Warpmart.

:: Dan 11.10.03 [Arc]    ::
...