Release Date: February 26th, 2013
Just in time for late February are the disembodied electronics of Lesser Evil. This is the first full-length release from Montreal–based artist, Airick Woodhead, better known as Doldrums. The album was recorded over an eighteen-month period on friend Clair Boucher’s (Grimes) laptop, and was released on Arbutus this past week. The resulting music lies somewhere between blissful and terrifying. Its nightmarish textures and fractured beats create a style that is consistently confusing, yet strangely fulfilling.
“Fantasia Intro,” is a solemn dirge. Distant synths and vocal blips texture the edges of the soundscape. The vocals are centered, drenched in reverb, moaning, “I still feel like a child.” The grim ambience reaches a peak threatened by thick, dissonant chords, then plunges into a furnace fueled by harsh electronic wails. The wreckage is met by a strangely poppy drum beat. Hovering above is what sounds to be a chorus of ghosts singing out of tune, while below is a gently pulsing bass. The vocals are taken up by Woodhead singing in a pained falsetto, “Whatever that’s supposed to mean!” And the song drifts back and forth, verse chorus verse, lulling listeners into a numbed, dreamlike trance.
I found the track’s use of textures to be its strongest quality, weaving an intricate tapestry of disparate ideas. On the other hand, the music wasn’t fast enough in developing new ideas and often recycled previously explored sounds, melodies, and even lyrics. I found myself interested in the density of the music but was worried I’d end up bored.
The third track, “She is the Wave,” manages to pick up the pace. The textures are harsher this time around; a frenzied mélange of synth noises, met by a dubstep bass line, and colored by ambient vocal harmonies. The track tests listeners with piercing melodies and guttural bass tones, creating something between noisy incoherence and manic spiritual bliss.
Track five, “Egypt” eases the emotional weight of the album. This track stands out with its lively dance beat drawing on traditional samba. The vocals are also intriguing in that they rarely rely on a consistent melody. The strongest portion of the track is the break at three minutes in which Woodhead stages what sounds to be an argument between glitch beats and electronic screams.
The album enters a lull of three monotonous tracks, but is revived by track eight, “Lesser Evil.” This song is by far the most accessible on the album, sporting a fast pop beat and glossy synth chords. The vocals are both sinister and celebratory, “If I don’t see it it’s not there/ you want to live forever but only in thin air.” And while the song is easier on the ears, it’s no less intricate in its diversity of sounds and its ability to keep listener’s guessing.
The album dips again into a haze of forgettable tracks, some more driven and poppy than others, but always feeling half-realized and occasionally over-executed. The album’s closer, “Painted Black,” however, displays a genuine simplicity The bass line and drum beat sound like they were pulled from an R&B track then warped beyond recognition, and the light, descending synth line is something that will stay looping in listener’s heads long after the track ends. The vocals are dreamy but forgettable, blending nicely with the rest of the music, but failing to establish a unique melody or tone. Overall, I appreciate an artist whose willing to close an album in a calmer, more reflective fashion.
Lesser Evil, by Doldrums, is a fascinating album. Much of the music incorporates tones and textures I have yet to hear elsewhere, and in this way Woodhead has created something unique and original. I wasn’t entirely satisfied with the result, as the album definitely has its throwaway tracks, but the tracks that did come together hit hard both emotionally and intellectually. At points, I was confused as to how to engage with the music. In many instances, it felt the music was happening to me rather than allowing me space to be an active listener, and that sensation was actually somewhat unsettling. On the whole however, the music left me with a lot to think about, and it merits a good few listens, especially on a cold, gray February afternoon.
Doldrums – Lesser Evil tracklist:
- “Fantasia Intro”
- “Anomaly”
- “She is the Wave”
- “Sunsrise”
- “Egypt”
- “Holographic Sand Castles”
- “Singularity Acid Face”
- “Lesser Evil”
- “Golden Calf”
- “Lost in Everyone”
- “Painted Black”
