Album of Finn McNicholas released recently on Audiobulb Records became the second one in his solo creative work after All The Darkness Has Gone To Details in 2006. Of no doubt, the new work is the continuation of creative line started in the first album. Even not just continuation but development of the own musician's theme. Acoustic guitar, strings, piano, electronic drums and mosaics of "home percussion" - claps, rustles, some other clanking recorded at home. Bright and sappy IDM, lively, streaming to all sides sound. Guitar plays simple and beautiful melodious loops or its samples are cut into parts coming deep into drums' parts. In the middle of the album one can absolutely unexpectedly meet the ambient track "Lingers" which suddenly gives a respite and understanding of the fact that previous six tracks were heard tracks were heard without a pause as if we were travelling somewhere on an electric train deepening into thoughts, pondering and it suddenly made a stop. After the next part of the album started I caught myself at the thought that tracks a little bit pad out the impression from each of them. Sometimes they are very similar to each other and that's why I compare The Nest And The Skull to a trip on electric train with a stop in the middle of the way. And it's unimportant that landscapes-melodies change themselves and their mood changes too. All the same the sound of banging wheels as the rhythmical component of music seems to be similar and boring. At the same time the album doesn't go without true pearls such as track "Takas". It's peculiar thanks to its mood, it's a little bit more sad than the rest of the tracks and it perfectly widens the emotional musical spectrum.One of the main shortcomings of the album is that music is very much spoiled by post-production. I would like many moments to be more intimate and mysterious and there are enough details in Utre's creative work, though in The Nest And The Skull each of these details thrust out to the foreground sets against the ceiling of the sound section. May be some people will like it, though as for me, such attitude spoils the impression a little bit. While listening to this "ultra-brightness" you get tired though nevertheless this CD still remains for me one of the interesting discoveries of this year.
- Ultre
- Audiobulb