Review Summary: The height of pop music
Alex Seaver, also known as Mako, showed up then and again in my Soundcloud dashboard between various EDM or electro trap artists. While he might flirt with the genre on Fable sometimes, he certainly can't be defined by it. He cites Radiohead as a big influence but writes much more accessible music. Think bite-sized Idioteques.
Parable, one of the strongest tracks on here, kicks things off with a 7/8 time signature, a haunting atmosphere and lyrics based on a bulgarian folk song. There's usually a lot of progression to the songs or a pay off to an already bittersweet start. Peregrine, for example, builds up with a fast beat (which are executed amazingly throughout the record) to soaring strings and a melody that could be goosebump-inducing.
Instrumentation is kept rather sparse, nevertheless, and the focus is kept on the vocals of Alex, whose range is incredible. It's his singing that elevates some songs, like Murder and Breathe, from the standard emotionless drivel heard in your grocery store to precious gems you want to keep. Chameleon is another stand-out track, starting off very bare-boned, ending with choirs.
Lyrically, as you could imagine from the album title, there's lots of metaphores being used for what could mostly be described your common relationship issues. Although the way they are delivered might convey more to you.
The flow of the album is also one of it's strong suits, as almost half the songs start off quieter, yet it never drags or sounds too samey. It certainly found a place in my heart I didn't know was empty before.
