Review Summary: The Log.Os produce an album fit for their name.
Large collective efforts like
The Log.Os tend to suffer from similar ailments in that they rarely produce something unexpected – being, as they are, the distilled ideas and styles of all those involved – and with no central, leading figure there’s often a distinct lack of direction. While
The Log.Os lack some cohesiveness, it's largely down to the incredible level of experimentalism that permeates the record; standing out as a pleasant display of confidence from a group still in its infancy.
While drawing inspiration from contemporary trip-hop and soul,
λόγος centres around dark, relaxed electronic music. It’s prone to accumulating a dizzying amount of layers – including vocal tracks – in a successful effort to reward repeated listens with the chance to explore the bass, beats and ambient effects intricately woven in to the backdrop. However, there’s always a focal point in this tapestry, with first-time visitors always given somewhere to start to prevent it appearing daunting.
Despite this,
The Log.Os do seem rather obsessed with abstraction. Nothing is inherently straightforward: with the almost reluctant-to-start synths on
Cancerous and the beautifully distorted vocals on the bonus track,
Levels Log.OS. It’s clear that they’re intent on exploring the ground outside their musical foundation, although it’s equally as obvious that they’re uncertain of what it is that they’re looking for, since focus in individual tracks varies drastically.
Above all else, however, their remains a very urban, almost hip-hop inspired vibe of relaxation; begging parallels of recent releases from
Swarms and
Massive Attack. Sensuality and sorrow shine through in places, though constantly in the disarming, laid-back tone; leading to a more subtle form of communication. Coupled with the often stylistically obscured lyrics, it becomes a quite intelligent means of storytelling.
λόγος clocks in at around 30 minutes, and with little in the way of closure the listener is left hanging. Consolation can easily be found in the depth of the tracks available, and in how the album costs no money at all, but the fact remains that adding some more flesh to the LP would help round off what really is an incredibly creative and intelligent debut.
