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Murmurations
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Murmurations
Current price: $26.99
Barnes and Noble
Murmurations
Current price: $26.99
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James Ford
and
Jas Shaw
's sixth full-length album as
Simian Mobile Disco
was written in collaboration with
Deep Throat Choir
, whose presence is so center-stage that they deserve to be billed as the main performers instead of just a featuring credit.
DTC
have successfully taken the choir concept and made it relevant, far surpassing any novelty factor and garnering respect throughout the industry, particularly -- and peculiarly -- in dance music circles. Perhaps fittingly, then,
Murmurations
seems more like a much-deserved platform for the choir rather than a full-blown
record. There's no denying that the album has been produced with finesse; it just doesn't come close to the peaks found on previous
SMD
albums.
There's been a solid history of vocal collaborations within their back catalog: for example, their biggest pop crossovers appeared on
Temporary Pleasure
, where the likes of
Beth Ditto
could be found chiming in over their early, more jagged sound. Here we find the techno-lite/minimal approach of phase-two
offset by the gliding harmonies of
, exemplified by lead single "Caught in a Wave," which creeps along eerily but fails to crescendo; "Cruel Intentions" this certainly isn't, and the
Justice
remix of "We Are Your Friends" couldn't be further from their current location. Which is fine; if anything,
Ford
Shaw
have transformed gracefully over the course of their career, gradually reining it in to find new solace in the underground while maintaining a festival-ready, larger-vibe persona that they can dust off and reanimate as needed.
That
finds them hovering in the background isn't necessarily bad either, but the talents of
and their hive-like harmonics outshine the sheen of the tracks they appear on, seen clearly on the singles "Hey Sister" and "Defender." Every track has a pleasant flow, with the production only really coming to the forefront on "A Perfect Swarm," which builds to the midway tipping point with the same degree of precision and balance that
have demonstrated in the past.
During "V Formation," the synthetic and harmonic elements intertwine until they are essentially one and the same; undoubtedly the overall point of this project. With that in mind, it might seem unfair to say
steal the show, as after all they could be framed as just another instrument, or human synthesizer as
himself puts it. That doesn't change the fact that
is a standout moment for
, while in the
canon it sits as an interesting and pleasant experience but, ultimately, a sideline in their discography. ~ Liam Martin
and
Jas Shaw
's sixth full-length album as
Simian Mobile Disco
was written in collaboration with
Deep Throat Choir
, whose presence is so center-stage that they deserve to be billed as the main performers instead of just a featuring credit.
DTC
have successfully taken the choir concept and made it relevant, far surpassing any novelty factor and garnering respect throughout the industry, particularly -- and peculiarly -- in dance music circles. Perhaps fittingly, then,
Murmurations
seems more like a much-deserved platform for the choir rather than a full-blown
record. There's no denying that the album has been produced with finesse; it just doesn't come close to the peaks found on previous
SMD
albums.
There's been a solid history of vocal collaborations within their back catalog: for example, their biggest pop crossovers appeared on
Temporary Pleasure
, where the likes of
Beth Ditto
could be found chiming in over their early, more jagged sound. Here we find the techno-lite/minimal approach of phase-two
offset by the gliding harmonies of
, exemplified by lead single "Caught in a Wave," which creeps along eerily but fails to crescendo; "Cruel Intentions" this certainly isn't, and the
Justice
remix of "We Are Your Friends" couldn't be further from their current location. Which is fine; if anything,
Ford
Shaw
have transformed gracefully over the course of their career, gradually reining it in to find new solace in the underground while maintaining a festival-ready, larger-vibe persona that they can dust off and reanimate as needed.
That
finds them hovering in the background isn't necessarily bad either, but the talents of
and their hive-like harmonics outshine the sheen of the tracks they appear on, seen clearly on the singles "Hey Sister" and "Defender." Every track has a pleasant flow, with the production only really coming to the forefront on "A Perfect Swarm," which builds to the midway tipping point with the same degree of precision and balance that
have demonstrated in the past.
During "V Formation," the synthetic and harmonic elements intertwine until they are essentially one and the same; undoubtedly the overall point of this project. With that in mind, it might seem unfair to say
steal the show, as after all they could be framed as just another instrument, or human synthesizer as
himself puts it. That doesn't change the fact that
is a standout moment for
, while in the
canon it sits as an interesting and pleasant experience but, ultimately, a sideline in their discography. ~ Liam Martin
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