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Trollheart · 12-31-2015, 05:03 AM

Title: Nightmare Ending
Artiste: Eluvium
Year 2013
Nationality: American
Rank: Noob
Genre: Ambient
7

Expectations: Again, given that YD was so taken with it, I expect to be mightily impressed. Given also that his own music is so good, and that he seethes with envy at the beauty of this music, well, let's just say it needs to be something really special.

(Caveat 1: Of course, he may be appreciating this more from a musician's point of view, which I may not be able to see)
(Caveat 2: My usual problem with instrumental albums may prevail and work against me).

Note: I'm deliberately staying away from Yorke's review, so as not to colour my own. Later I may refer to it, in the light of what I hear and decide myself.

1. Don't get any closer: A slowly rising synth or organ joined by a simple slow piano line, sort of reminds me of the sort of thing Plainview might play. Very nice, very relaxing, very soft and gentle. Sort of detect a note of sadness in some of the melody, though that could just be me. The piece runs for just over nine minutes, and for three it is so far very simple and somewhat basic, but enjoyable certainly. Organ rising now (shut up) as we move from the fourth into the fifth, the piano falling away for the moment, still stately and sedate. Some sort of choral synth or something kind of howling softly in the background, kind of like an angelic mourning or something. Very nice start. I wouldn't be Blueing it though, but definitely gets a Green.
2. Warm: Nice soft orchestral feel to the opening of this. Could be violin, could be synth. I actually like this better than the opener. It's a little shorter (seven minutes) but kind of has more of a flow to it, I feel.
3. By the rails: I guess that would be tapes bringing this in, then maybe a feedback guitar, something fuzzy anyway. Harder sound. Yeah, wasn't mad about that one to be honest. Quite short too.
4. Unknown variation: Yeah, this is really nice, very ambient with a lot of sounds (think I hear surf, seagulls, trains) ... YD can obviously describe this a lot better than I can, but it's very relaxing.
5. Carolling: This is alright but it's kind of basic piano and a little boring.
6. Sleeping: More piano, but softer, backed with some lush synth and strings. Another one with more than a hint of sadness about it, despite the title.
7. Envenom mettle: Again, harder with a sort of rolling, almost marching drumbeat. Gets a little odd in the last two minutes.
8. Chime: Back to that harder, almost metallic feel which I'm not crazy about.
9. Rain gently: This comes in very slowly and gently, like I guess the rain in the title, though the melody sounds really, really familiar when it gets going. I know: you hate it when I do that, don't you?
10. Impromptu (For the procession): Nice little piano tune. Nothing terribly special though I feel.
11. Covered in writing: Another one that fades in very slowly and quietly. It runs for nine minutes though so I wonder where it will go? Kind of stays mostly the same, ethereal, abstract almost. Very nice.
12. Entendre: Nice little simple piano melody on this one. Much shorter too.
13. Strange arrivals: This one's quite short and again it's more about tapes and sound effects than what I would necessarily call a melody, at least compared to most of the other tracks. It's okay I guess.
14. Happiness: The only vocal track, with Yo La Tengo's Ira Kaplan providing the singing. Must say, the vocal is very low-key and if this was another instrumental track, for most of it you wouldn't even notice him. Nice little tune with what sounds like a bassoon or something and flowing piano and some beautiful strings around the midpoint.

Final result: The album was certainly enjoyable, very little in it that I didn't like, but again I don't see the hero-worship YorkeDaddy ascribes to it. Could be, as I say, that he's looking at it from a different angle, that of a composer and musician, so it means more to him, and if so, fair play to him. To me, it was just a nice ambient album, but nothing I'd be running out telling everyone they should listen to. Reading back over YD's review now and again it's not quite a case of what album were you listening to, but on the basis of the praise he lavished upon this album, I'm slightly disappointed. I've certainly heard better, though it is good. It's not, for me, however, as Yorke claims, the holy grail of ambient music.

Rating:

12-31-2015, 05:03 AM	#7 (permalink)
Trollheart Born to be mild Join Date: Oct 2008 Location: 404 Not Found Posts: 26,996	Title: Nightmare Ending Artiste: Eluvium Year 2013 Nationality: American Rank: Noob Genre: Ambient 7 Expectations: Again, given that YD was so taken with it, I expect to be mightily impressed. Given also that his own music is so good, and that he seethes with envy at the beauty of this music, well, let's just say it needs to be something really special. (Caveat 1: Of course, he may be appreciating this more from a musician's point of view, which I may not be able to see) (Caveat 2: My usual problem with instrumental albums may prevail and work against me). Note: I'm deliberately staying away from Yorke's review, so as not to colour my own. Later I may refer to it, in the light of what I hear and decide myself. 1. Don't get any closer: A slowly rising synth or organ joined by a simple slow piano line, sort of reminds me of the sort of thing Plainview might play. Very nice, very relaxing, very soft and gentle. Sort of detect a note of sadness in some of the melody, though that could just be me. The piece runs for just over nine minutes, and for three it is so far very simple and somewhat basic, but enjoyable certainly. Organ rising now (shut up) as we move from the fourth into the fifth, the piano falling away for the moment, still stately and sedate. Some sort of choral synth or something kind of howling softly in the background, kind of like an angelic mourning or something. Very nice start. I wouldn't be Blueing it though, but definitely gets a Green. 2. Warm: Nice soft orchestral feel to the opening of this. Could be violin, could be synth. I actually like this better than the opener. It's a little shorter (seven minutes) but kind of has more of a flow to it, I feel. 3. By the rails: I guess that would be tapes bringing this in, then maybe a feedback guitar, something fuzzy anyway. Harder sound. Yeah, wasn't mad about that one to be honest. Quite short too. 4. Unknown variation: Yeah, this is really nice, very ambient with a lot of sounds (think I hear surf, seagulls, trains) ... YD can obviously describe this a lot better than I can, but it's very relaxing. 5. Carolling: This is alright but it's kind of basic piano and a little boring. 6. Sleeping: More piano, but softer, backed with some lush synth and strings. Another one with more than a hint of sadness about it, despite the title. 7. Envenom mettle: Again, harder with a sort of rolling, almost marching drumbeat. Gets a little odd in the last two minutes. 8. Chime: Back to that harder, almost metallic feel which I'm not crazy about. 9. Rain gently: This comes in very slowly and gently, like I guess the rain in the title, though the melody sounds really, really familiar when it gets going. I know: you hate it when I do that, don't you? 10. Impromptu (For the procession): Nice little piano tune. Nothing terribly special though I feel. 11. Covered in writing: Another one that fades in very slowly and quietly. It runs for nine minutes though so I wonder where it will go? Kind of stays mostly the same, ethereal, abstract almost. Very nice. 12. Entendre: Nice little simple piano melody on this one. Much shorter too. 13. Strange arrivals: This one's quite short and again it's more about tapes and sound effects than what I would necessarily call a melody, at least compared to most of the other tracks. It's okay I guess. 14. Happiness: The only vocal track, with Yo La Tengo's Ira Kaplan providing the singing. Must say, the vocal is very low-key and if this was another instrumental track, for most of it you wouldn't even notice him. Nice little tune with what sounds like a bassoon or something and flowing piano and some beautiful strings around the midpoint. Final result: The album was certainly enjoyable, very little in it that I didn't like, but again I don't see the hero-worship YorkeDaddy ascribes to it. Could be, as I say, that he's looking at it from a different angle, that of a composer and musician, so it means more to him, and if so, fair play to him. To me, it was just a nice ambient album, but nothing I'd be running out telling everyone they should listen to. Reading back over YD's review now and again it's not quite a case of what album were you listening to, but on the basis of the praise he lavished upon this album, I'm slightly disappointed. I've certainly heard better, though it is good. It's not, for me, however, as Yorke claims, the holy grail of ambient music. Rating: __________________ Trollheart: Signature-free since April 2018 Last edited by Trollheart; 12-31-2015 at 01:19 PM.