Review Summary: Beautifully mixes up hundreds of third-party compositions into something somehow greater than the sum of its parts.
"Since I Left You" is perhaps the most creative LP I've ever heard. Despite being riddled with samples (900+ of them) it is whole-heartedly original. This originality is its defining feature. There were albums like it before (in fact there's an entire genre for this hyper-mashup style; plunderphonics), the most well-known of which is DJ Shadow's "Endtroducing." But that album, while brilliant in its own way, does not make "Since I Left You" any less creative or inspiring. "Endtroducing" was brilliantly melancholy, but relied much on the popularized instrumental hip-hop style. On the other hand, "Since I Left You" is upbeat and belongs with other pop or dance music. It's not the usual relentless optimism you're used to, however. It evokes a spectrum of relatively positive emotions, from joy and hope to nostalgia and belonging.
Personifying the album, the first and title track, unlike many other psuedo-happy breakup tracks, truly feels amazed at the "world so new" now known. Certain elements of the song subtly incorporate themselves over some parts of the album. This amazement is transformed by a "Holiday" sample on "Stay Another Season", which is the only song I'm aware of to ever manage to incorporate a horse's neigh without making it seem out of place. The beat is removed temporarily, only to be quickly replaced on "Radio," a well-made but relatively unremarkable song compared to the rest. Giving us a bit of a rest, "Two Hearts In 3/4 Time" perfectly times introductions and subtractions of elements of the song, and beautifully incorporates a reverse vocal. "Avalanche Rock" doesn't do much, but I do wish it was a bit longer at 0:22. "Flight Tonight" brings back the party-like atmosphere of "Radio," but does it a lot better, only to be even further topped by "Close To You." Trying to listen to that without getting "...going round, turning the joint, upside down" stuck in your head is nearly impossible thanks to the masterful use of the samples.
Opening with a tastefully and amusingly placed sample of a group of women, presumably at the party from the last song, "Diners Only" begins the transition to the more relaxed section of the album (which is very necessary due to the perfectly placed hooks "Close To You" catches your tapping feet with) and strongly incorporates some vocal elements from the first song. While still transitioning to a more calm format, "A Different Feeling" initially sounds like it's going back to dance, but then begins slowing down with a beautiful violin sample. Despite claiming some popularity as a single, "Electricity" really doesn't have any strong hooks; rather, it is calming and serene. "Tonight" features two main ideas with very little variation, and these two elements would seem to not work together, but they do so beautifully. Unlike all the other songs, where samples fit together as if they were meant to be together, these parts abruptly change from one to the other. But it is a welcome change from the rest of the album, and is very deserving of the applause it receives at the end.
From there, the welcome waves of the interlude "Pablo's Cruise" transition to the classic "Frontier Psychiatrist." It is the most quoted, probably due to great hooks with memorable lyrics like "that boy needs therapy." If you play this for other people, chances are they'll either hate it or love it. It's definitely memorable, and is an amusing and welcome change from the last four relaxed few songs. When "Etoh" starts, you might think you understand how it's going to sound - relaxed and hopeful, like several other previously mentioned songs. Instead, it gets very upbeat towards the end, foreshadowing "Live At Dominoes." "Summer Crane" evokes strong feelings of triumph and peace, sounding like it would fit well at the end of the album, but this isn't the end, thankfully. We still have "Little Journey," which is essentially a combination of a "Avalanche Rock"-like short vocal sample and an intro to "Live At Dominoes."
You might find yourself humming "flight two two is off to Honolulu" after hearing that song, which is the last dance-oriented track on the album. With vocoders and effective basslines, some say this is the song Daft Punk should have made, and it does sound a lot like them. Don't fear that it's unoriginal, however: the Avalanches' sense of variety strongly differentiates it from something off of "Discovery". It feels inspired but still original, happy but still realistic, like the entire album. Finally, "Extra Kings" beautifully closes off the album with a dramatic but positive melody you might expect to hear from a songbird, not a finale. This is further finalized with a return to the original theme of the presumed break-up, finally admitting the fault of the presumed protagonist of the album, with "tried but I just can't get you, ever since the day I left you."
Overall, "Since I Left You" is a fantastic album, managing to beautifully combine hundreds of other people's work into one illogically, but entirely, their own. It tells a story from many other artists' mouths, but the feelings brought from these sounds are all new. It avoids the trap many sample-using artists fall into of becoming over-reliant on one hook or sound, but gives you just enough time to enjoy each one and appreciate how they fit with each other. It is positive, but not overwhelmingly so, although it doesn't ever become negative or melancholy - instead, it transitions from one positive emotion to the next; freedom, joy, fun, serenity, even humor. The lesson I learn from this critically is that if all artists were as creative and skilled as the Avalanches, music would be much more enjoyable. And best of all, the other, more emotional, lesson I learn is that life is beautiful.
