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Review Summary: Watching beauty explode and fade away. “Silence. […] It unleashed itself from the broken and semi-broken appliances in the kitchen, the dead machines which hadn’t worked in all the time Isidore had lived here. […] It managed in fact to emerge from every object within his range of vision, as if it - the silence - meant to supplant all things tangible.”
-Philip K. Dick, Do Androids Dream of Electric Sheep?
In his bleak and melancholic dystopian masterwork, Philip K. Dick proposes an interesting analysis of the contemporary human condition. And an absolutely terrifying one. Terrifying in that it is so raw, so palpable. Drowned in the constant white noise backdrop of modern life, human beings walk the path to their own isolation where even silence is oppressive. Where the value of life itself is questioned daily, as sophisticated machines mimic to an impressive degree the things we’ve come to define ourselves by. And we're left standing there, beginning to think we function very much like machines, too, and perhaps asking ourselves if we have as much power on the gears within us than we'd like to.
If this fifth album from Patrick Watson, the appropriately titled Love Songs for Robots, does not offer any conclusive answer to these issues, it was clearly his intention to animate them, illustrate them; to compose and decompose them. Here, human and machine blend beautifully, colliding in a majestic burst of atmospheric and sensitive dream pop, leaving behind the trademark experimental indie folk that had been explored in most of Watson’s preceding career.
The human-machine duality evoked earlier is, from the very first moments of the opening title-track, strongly illustrated by the contrast between the bewitching synthesizers and the melancholic piano and expressive voice to which Watson has accustomed us. Driven by a rather simple but extremely moving chord progression and an interesting atmospheric arrangement, this opening song may well be one of the most moving moments of the singer-songwriter’s career - and brilliantly captures the essence of the album. Following are other highlights, "Good Morning Mr. Wolf" and "Bollywood", both further exploring this new territory. The first is marked by the contrast between its subtle verses and its bolstering chorus, a harmonious confusion of voice, guitars and synthesizers. The second, which is quite fortunately not represented by its title, is built around a hypnotic bass line, and Watson demonstrates, one more time that his talent at composing poignant crescendos has not yet fainted.
Despite this new stylistic context, these fresh compositions are in their essence still marked by Watson’s signature songwriting: ethereal melodies, lush arrangements and interesting percussion are to be found. After all, this is not the first time the singer-songwriter explores the moody and atmospheric. However, he has never done it in such a mature and refreshing way, perfectly integrating it to his music.
The album continues, flowing from such a promising opening trifecta, with consistently excellent songs. Only songs like the Arcade Fire-influenced "Hearts" and the heavily Lennon-esque "Grace" are superfluous, bringing a more “down to earth” element, which would have worked impeccably in another context but is, here, breaking the album’s heavily atmospheric rhythm unnecessarily. Nonetheless, the shorter "In Circles" and its hauntingly beautiful piano playing and the songs that follow immediately set us back on the track, expanding greatly the scope of the album. "Turn into the Noise", arguably the centerpiece of the opus, is once again a demonstration of the singer-songwriter’s exploring ambitions, as he borrows to rhythm-and-blues to create an oddly lush and interesting piece of work.
With "Places You Will Go", one of the album’s most light and charming pieces, Love Songs for Robots ends, and it is the aftermath of its listen that lays its biggest flaw. If, generally, this new orientation marks a new brilliant success in Watson’s relatively consistent discography, the album as a whole does spawn some issues in that it may seem quite volatile after the first few listens. And yet, even when it has been heard a certain number of times, the memory of it stays a bit confused and somewhat vague to a certain point. The addition, to the singer’s already very aerial vocal style, of further atmospheric and ambient elements, leaves on some occasions an ephemeral feeling. Although it goes off after multiple listens, some songs never really leave an expression as memorable as expected, as the ultimately disappointing "Know That You Know", charming yet lacking any sense of focus.
And that gorgeous collision between the living and the mechanical, when over, only ultimately leaves dust of its beauty, sparkled across your memory, not quite always forming the whole it could have been. But not all beauty is made to be permanent, and fortunately, this one can be reproduced willingly by simple clicks or manoeuvres, with the worthwhile assistance of machines.
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Album Rating: 4.0
This is only the second review I've written, and the first one in which I actually put real effort; constructive comments are therefore more than welcome. I've translated the review from French, so feel free to point out any ortograph or syntax error as well.
Highlights from the record to give you an idea of its sound and direction:
"Love Songs from Robots": http://music.cbc.ca/#!/blogs/2015/2/Premiere-Listen-to-the-ethereal-title-track-from-Patrick-Watsons-Love-Songs-for-Robots
"Turn Into the Noise": https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kqb-lEYNfMM
"Bollywood": https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=H9UJFC8LLjM
"Places You Will Go": https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QCw3Hbbg5hA
You can stream the whole album here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qUfIntR8S0s and on Spotify for a better sound quality, I think.
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Too many words like "After all", "However", "Although", "Nonetheless", "But", and "And" starting sentences. Really disrupts the flow. Otherwise enjoyed the review so pos.
| | | Album Rating: 4.0
@SillyCaringRabbitPal Thanks a lot, I was actually worried some sentences and ideas were useless and overlong but I wasn't sure where to cut. Re-reading the review, I definitely understand how I bring ideas that I never develop further, and some that I expand a bit repetitively. I'll revise them for sure. I'll also try to get rid of the superfluous and redundant words and expressions as much as possible.
Also, what would you use to replace "frontier"; that's what would be used in French, but I guess it doesn't fit there in English?
| | | Album Rating: 4.0
I do tend to use commas extensively and sometimes abusively. It works in certain cases, but in the context of a review I get how it feels bloated and overladen
| | | Album Rating: 4.0
Great review! Seems like we are in agreement with what songs worked on this album and which ones didn't.
| | | Album Rating: 4.0
Thanks! And yes, every song on here is great at least, some of them just break the rhythm of the album a bit. Grace, Know That You Know and Hearts have been growing a lot on me as individual songs since I wrote the review though.
| | | Album Rating: 4.0
Onirium, I was aware that you covered that album, but I simply forgot to read it. Now that I've listened to the album, I'm more ready than ever to read it. But it's gonna be tomorrow. I promise ;)
| | | Album Rating: 4.0
Haha don't feel pressured, I just linked it so could have my full impressions on the album instead of just a summary. My opinion has changed a bit since I wrote the review as I told you, but whatever.
| | | Album Rating: 4.0
Review was a great reading. Your reflexion about the machine vs the human being is well represented. You're talking about the album/songs sufficiently to let know the reader what it sounds like. Even if you don't agree with the essence of certain songs anymore, you just have to bump up your user rating a little bit. Just like I did ;).
I don't know if you're familiar with The Flaming Lips or not, but I found they have a lot in common, except maybe TFL can be more fuzzy, more electric at times. Both artists offer some volatile stuff and are spacey and melodic. I could see you digging them for sure.
| | | Album Rating: 4.0
Thanks a lot!
Yeah, I've heard of The Flaming Lips before, although I don't think I've ever listened to their music. Where should I start?
| | | Album Rating: 4.0
I'd probably start with Soft Bulletin. Their highlights are all scattered from an album to another, so it's hard to guide you in. If ever you dig that album, I'm gonna revisit some other ones, so I can suggest you couple more.
| | | Album Rating: 4.0
I'm halfway through Soft Bulletin now, and I'm definitely liking what I'm hearing. I get the stylistic similarities with this album, although I find Watson's overall sound and songwriting more interesting. But that's just me, and The Flaming Lips have some very intriguing arrangements too. Soft Bulletin is definitely one of the great 90s alternative rock albums I've heard
| | | Album Rating: 4.0
Glad to see you enjoyed Soft Bulletin. You got another similar album in style in Yoshimi Battles the Pink Robots, and a more fuzzy guitar injections with Clouds Taste Metallic. Finally, Embryonic, a more experimental one (a bit noisy at times but still melodic), is also interesting. I think it's the way to go for their best stuff. I still have to check up everything I haven't heard yet, and all the rest, c'est-à-dire a few albums I need to give another spin (In A Priest Driven Ambulance, Hit to Death in the Future Head, Transmission from the Satellite Heart, and At War With the Mystics, which all contain some gems if I remember well). To be continued...
| | | Album Rating: 4.0
Great review, if a bit wordy. Love the album, especially the opener is hauntingly beautiful.
| | | Album Rating: 4.0
Thanks! This is a brilliant album, it definitely deserves more recognition - so does Watson in general; it's great to hear people discovering his work. If your looking for haunting beauty, you'd probably love his previous albums as well. Melodically it's similar, but it's arranged completely differently, falling closer to the realm of organic and somewhat experimental folk.
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