OrbDragon
12-02-2004, 03:50 PM
This is one of the hardest albums I've reviewed so far...so bear with me...
The Norwegian master of weird retro-pop John Kaada has collaborated with musical mastorbator Mike Patton to make this adventurous record. This is the romantic ballad album Mike Patton has been talking about. But seeing that John Kaada and Mike Patton aren't your everyday musicians...the concept of Romances is anything but straight forward. This record is adventurous...swifting effortlessly from dark uneasiness to relentless beauty...from timid spookyness to upbeat quirkiness. It sounds like a twisted soundtrack...and unlike the other Patton-involved release this year, Fantômas' Delerium Cordia, this one has more direction...although the structures are very lush and freeflowing on most tracks. From John Kaada...this record also differs from his solo effort for Ipecac "Thank You For Giving Me You Valuable Time"...although it's hard to define the sound of Romances...it's best describes as a mixture of Kaada's solo work and Disco Volante-era Mr Bungle.
Highlights:
I - Invocation
A very spooky volatile track that creeps and crawls. Perfect halloween track. Pattons crooning is just evil. Very well done...especially because the song lurks along...doesn't go overarranged. Kaada shows he is a great composer. 4.5/5
II - Pitié pour les Larmes
This a very dramatically sung love ballad, very Burt Bacharach-influenced...only without the easy listening. This one of two tracks with actual lyrics. We finally get to hear Pattons straight up singing voice again...like we are used to in Faith No More. It's got very subtle mood changes...but I won't tell too much. It's just a perfect musical piece...it actually has some emotion...something not often heard in a Patton-sung track. My 2nd favorite song of the album. 5/5
III - Aubade
An epic musical piece well over 11 minutes...and one of the least accessible songs of the album. The intro is beautifully composed with simple piano chords at the intro...and amazing vocal harmonies. Just an exciting listen throughout, with lots of subtle twists. The song even has some Fantômas-like vocal antics by Mike...that fit the track suprisingly well. This song is a strange journey 4.5/5
IV - L'Absent
This is prolly the catchiest song on the album...it starts with a very simplistic piano record and lo-fi persussion...but the vocal lines Patton drops are really cool. If you hear closely you can hear female opera vocals in the background. Strange, cool song. 4/5
V - Crepuscule
This is my favorite piece of this record...otherwordly. It revolves around a pattern of ascending and descending melody (including vocal melodies), with lots of strange scraping percussion Around 1:15 this melody returns in a more cinematic form...it's an incredible part of this track...so well produced too. It's prolly the most simplistic track on the album...but so well done. The part with the harp around 2:20 is perfect... a melody almost played like a layback jazz piano. Then an organ melody strikes and Patton is backed by a choir. ****in' awesome. 5/5
VI - Viens, les gazons sont verts
The vocal lines of "L'Absent" are half repeated in the into. This song has some cool harmonica playing. This track is also pretty creepy...with Mike doing strange high pitched crooning and moaning. The song has alot of rithmic uneasiness...usually the percussion just complements acccents in the various melodies. Unlike most other songs...this one has a real climax...with the percussion and melodies becoming more dynamic near the end. 4/5
VII - Seule
A depressing ballad with lyrics. This song is very much created around Mike's voice...whereas most of the songs focus on minimalistic instrumentation. Very dramatic. 3.5/5
VIII - Pensée des Mortes
A very slow-paced track. Starts with an avantgardes harmony between xylophone and percussion...and creepy vocal harmonies drift overhead like dark clouds. When the strange synth comes in...the mood of the track seems to change as well. Some of the vocal harmonies are actually pretty catchy here. 4.5/5
IX - Nuit Silencieuse
Starts with percussion and a volatile low keyed piano melody played by Kaada. The song is very timid at the start. The most magic part of the song is when the acoustic guitar comes...and the song seems to open up like a rose. The vocals that come afterwards are simply beautiful...and just as you think the song becomes more arranged it closes down again. It's quite beautiful and emotional, actually. 4.5/5
As you can expect from a Kaada or Patton related record...this ain't the most accessible record...it might take time to grow on you. But it's one of the best record I've heard in a long long time...and no bias because I'm a Patton fanboy. This is truly good music...prolly the best album Patton has been involved in since The Directors Cut. And Kaada...well, he is just great and refreshing. I hope people will check out "Thank You For Giving Me Your Valuable Time" because that record is also well worth listening to. I sure hope these two will bring out more material in the future, because this album screams for more.
4.7/5
The Norwegian master of weird retro-pop John Kaada has collaborated with musical mastorbator Mike Patton to make this adventurous record. This is the romantic ballad album Mike Patton has been talking about. But seeing that John Kaada and Mike Patton aren't your everyday musicians...the concept of Romances is anything but straight forward. This record is adventurous...swifting effortlessly from dark uneasiness to relentless beauty...from timid spookyness to upbeat quirkiness. It sounds like a twisted soundtrack...and unlike the other Patton-involved release this year, Fantômas' Delerium Cordia, this one has more direction...although the structures are very lush and freeflowing on most tracks. From John Kaada...this record also differs from his solo effort for Ipecac "Thank You For Giving Me You Valuable Time"...although it's hard to define the sound of Romances...it's best describes as a mixture of Kaada's solo work and Disco Volante-era Mr Bungle.
Highlights:
I - Invocation
A very spooky volatile track that creeps and crawls. Perfect halloween track. Pattons crooning is just evil. Very well done...especially because the song lurks along...doesn't go overarranged. Kaada shows he is a great composer. 4.5/5
II - Pitié pour les Larmes
This a very dramatically sung love ballad, very Burt Bacharach-influenced...only without the easy listening. This one of two tracks with actual lyrics. We finally get to hear Pattons straight up singing voice again...like we are used to in Faith No More. It's got very subtle mood changes...but I won't tell too much. It's just a perfect musical piece...it actually has some emotion...something not often heard in a Patton-sung track. My 2nd favorite song of the album. 5/5
III - Aubade
An epic musical piece well over 11 minutes...and one of the least accessible songs of the album. The intro is beautifully composed with simple piano chords at the intro...and amazing vocal harmonies. Just an exciting listen throughout, with lots of subtle twists. The song even has some Fantômas-like vocal antics by Mike...that fit the track suprisingly well. This song is a strange journey 4.5/5
IV - L'Absent
This is prolly the catchiest song on the album...it starts with a very simplistic piano record and lo-fi persussion...but the vocal lines Patton drops are really cool. If you hear closely you can hear female opera vocals in the background. Strange, cool song. 4/5
V - Crepuscule
This is my favorite piece of this record...otherwordly. It revolves around a pattern of ascending and descending melody (including vocal melodies), with lots of strange scraping percussion Around 1:15 this melody returns in a more cinematic form...it's an incredible part of this track...so well produced too. It's prolly the most simplistic track on the album...but so well done. The part with the harp around 2:20 is perfect... a melody almost played like a layback jazz piano. Then an organ melody strikes and Patton is backed by a choir. ****in' awesome. 5/5
VI - Viens, les gazons sont verts
The vocal lines of "L'Absent" are half repeated in the into. This song has some cool harmonica playing. This track is also pretty creepy...with Mike doing strange high pitched crooning and moaning. The song has alot of rithmic uneasiness...usually the percussion just complements acccents in the various melodies. Unlike most other songs...this one has a real climax...with the percussion and melodies becoming more dynamic near the end. 4/5
VII - Seule
A depressing ballad with lyrics. This song is very much created around Mike's voice...whereas most of the songs focus on minimalistic instrumentation. Very dramatic. 3.5/5
VIII - Pensée des Mortes
A very slow-paced track. Starts with an avantgardes harmony between xylophone and percussion...and creepy vocal harmonies drift overhead like dark clouds. When the strange synth comes in...the mood of the track seems to change as well. Some of the vocal harmonies are actually pretty catchy here. 4.5/5
IX - Nuit Silencieuse
Starts with percussion and a volatile low keyed piano melody played by Kaada. The song is very timid at the start. The most magic part of the song is when the acoustic guitar comes...and the song seems to open up like a rose. The vocals that come afterwards are simply beautiful...and just as you think the song becomes more arranged it closes down again. It's quite beautiful and emotional, actually. 4.5/5
As you can expect from a Kaada or Patton related record...this ain't the most accessible record...it might take time to grow on you. But it's one of the best record I've heard in a long long time...and no bias because I'm a Patton fanboy. This is truly good music...prolly the best album Patton has been involved in since The Directors Cut. And Kaada...well, he is just great and refreshing. I hope people will check out "Thank You For Giving Me Your Valuable Time" because that record is also well worth listening to. I sure hope these two will bring out more material in the future, because this album screams for more.
4.7/5