| This album has a more clear direction than Totems Flare (and the fortunate absence of Chris' vocals), and generally is more cohesive musically than a lot of previous Clark releases. Musically, however, the album lacks the sort of power that commands attention and interest; 'Com Touch' and 'Tooth Moves,' by my judgement the two strongest tracks on the album, fail to match the anthemic climaxes of 'Herzog' or 'Talis.' Clark's signature is the convoluted, cerebral frenzy, something that was conspicuously absent from most of Totems Flare, and even more so from Iradelphic. The movement to a pop format, surprising given the abundance of odd time signatures, comes through most strongly on the second half of the album, with parts of 'The Pining' sounding almost like and electronic pop b-side. The album is not 'bad,' but it is not a product of the Chris Clark who made Clarence Park and Body Riddle. |
