Review Summary: Great soundtracks to abstract themes.
Imagine a world saw through concepts and geometrical forms, with its specters and somewhat tangible atmospheres that one time or another may appear similar to a strange talking, as the things suddenly can speak by themselves. This synesthesia feeling is perhaps included in very musical style, since it's very easy to a sound to make remember colors of certain periods of life or just molding the general mood to a singular form.
Mouse on the keys bring this general sense of forms and colors in a strong and self-conscious way, sometimes you feel the sensation of listening to the sound of a geometrical form or maybe to a white and blue environment, fog and dawn or just lack of hope. The song titles help a lot to incite this abstract sound-tracks with names as “Completed Nihilism”, “Dirty Realism” or just “Soil”. They bring also songs as “Double Bind” and “Ouroboros” which make tangible in esthetic senses what may be thought as ways of thinking metaphorically concepts as the infinity.
Well, this sounds very cerebral or just too modern art related, and it actually is in some senses but never losing itself in a too elitist and conceptual environment. That happens because even being mathematical sometimes, it never loses the sense of melody or exaggerate too much in the experimental side of the songs. Actually it's very accessible for people used to jazz or post-rock: good groovy percussion, moments of ambient ornamentation and strong jazz improvisations (mostly piano ones) can be found all across the album. Colorful and delicate notes are mixed with strong dissonant chords and large drumming work.
In a certain way it is somewhat residual from a mix from jazz to modern concepts of music, it goes from 65daysofstatic to Keith Jarret in few minutes very naturally. The musicians are well mingled and it doesn’t feel tautological even with two pianists on the go. Finally, the production is certainly a highlight of the album, it's just crystalline and you can hear everything very well and it is certainly a tasteful headphone experience.
In this full sense of musical contrasts and different images, I just miss a little some stand-out moments like what they already did in their EP “Sezession” as the song "Toccatina" with several layers of sound and complex piano counterpoints. But, in a general way I found good that they are going to a more relaxed and less virtuous way. It's less dangerous of becoming unpalatable while too technical. "An anxious object" is a very concise effort and a good step in their way through the realms of music and sensations.
Highlights:
Spectres de mouse (Crazy and fast drumming, very geometrical harmony)
Seiren (Soft and full at the same time)
Unflexible grids (Crazy stuff, imagine the sound of a triangle)
Ouroboros (Beautiful ending)
