Review Summary: Does what it says on the album cover.
It’s not often it happens but the lurid cover of
Love Is Like A Stream is an exact representation of the sound; a fuzzed-out wall of colourful noise that envelopes the listeners in its grandiosity. The influences are apparent from the get-go; My Bloody Valentine, Jefre’s band Yellow Swans and a veritable checklist of other essential noise, shoegaze and ambient bands. Base comparisons to contemporaries such as Tim Hecker, Gimu and Belong are also valid to a certain extent. However base comparison are where they end, Ledesma’s work is far more abrasive, primal and, crucially, human.
Its main difference lies in the core structure of the songs throughout. The title of the album,
Love Is A Like A Stream becomes a motif based around the way the album is sequenced, how the songs are structured and how it enters the listener’s ears; a very abrasive, constantly moving and consistently flowing body of water. Ledesma relies on careful layering and simple structural techniques such as the occasional break or loud/quiet dynamics to direct the course of the music rather than artful sculpting. This simplicity is what sets him apart from his contemporaries and is something of a breath of fresh air as the equally simplistic themes of loves and loss are translated well into the music. There is actually something tangible and relatable amidst all the distortion rather than just beautiful but rather sterile cathedrals of white noise that Hecker is known for. This makes for a far more consistent and enjoyable listen than many of Ledesma’s contemporaries. On the flipside the lack of ambition to push the scope further prevents there from being any true highlight like ‘You Never Lose, Never Really’ on this album. Consequently this a consistent and overall excellent effort but the lack of that extra spice stops it from being pushed into the realms of the classic.
Recommended tracks
Where I End & You Begin
Womb Night
Staind Glass Body
