Review Summary: falling asleep to the sound of the beach.
Giraffage’s soundscape is uncannily similar to Lone’s (a solo electronic producer), with reverb glazed, hazy synth pads. On the other hand, despite the immediate similarities, the end result is something quite different. While Lone prefers to bake his sounds in sun waves, creating a slow burning magical paradise, Giraffage’s rendition is more straight-forward. It is more beat-driven, catchier, and therefore less shapeless. On top of that, it’s also frantically glitchy, including more sound effects than can be easily spotted. So really, comparisons should also include Flying Lotus, because Giraffage has a “more is more” (as opposed to “less is more”) hip-hop instrumental style. It’s been done before, but it’s interesting nonetheless.
Comfort is host to an intensely rich soundscape, a lush jungle of eclectic sounds. These sounds, and the warm cushiness that permeates the listener as a result, make it nearly impossible to feel claustrophobic. It allows the listener to explore, enjoy, and ultimately lose their self in the album’s created world. It’s still pummeling, in-your-face material, but in the way that resting one’s face on a soft pillow is pummelling - such a feeling is often considered comfortable. How ironic, then, that the album’s title is
Comfort, describing the album perfectly with just one word.
For a debut album, Giraffage has already nailed down his musical style surprisingly hard. It doesn’t leave much room for musical expansion, but it does create an entirely solid collection of songs. The soundscape is so cemented that it already sounds evolved, so it doesn’t necessarily require tweaking at this stage. In other words, it’s a great album due to its excellent execution, but more importantly, the blissfulness that the listener feels as a result. You may not want to leave
Comfort after basking in its sunlight.
