Zack: Remember a few reviews ago when I said Devendra Banhart left me with no strong inclination of what to write? So then I wrote a whole entry about how I didn’t know what to write? Wow, I wish I would have saved that card. What do you write about an album that you barely even noticed was on? It’s not even that I was doing other things and this just became background noise, because that would have been exactly what an ambient album should have done. I really wasn’t doing much at all, but I had no clue when I was listening to a different song. Sometimes I would click over to iTunes to learn that I had listened to four songs without noticing any difference. Other times I would click over to find out that the same song had been going on for the last 8 minutes. And all while I was minding my own business trying to enjoy this album. That’s the thing that kills me about this right here. I’m actually trying to learn to appreciate electronic music. I really am. But I just have no clue how to do it. The noises were pleasant enough. There was no random screeching like in the middle of that Daft Punk album. It was just friendly beeping all the way through. Like R2-D2 was humming or something. But I still just did not get it. Maybe it’s going over my head, but what is the intrinsic value to these sounds that I’m hearing? What’s the message? Even poppy music has some kind of message. Maybe it’s that California girls will melt your popsicle (the bullies) or that you don’t feel like doing anything although you then list all the things you plan on doing (I’m on to you and your irony, Bruno Mars). Sure, those aren’t necessarily revolutionary ballads, but there is some message there for the listener to gather together. But with this! There’s nothing but beeping. What could I possibly be expected to get out of that?
Favorite Tracks: Pulsewidth; Schottkey 7th Path; Actium
Emily: The title of this album says it all. It’s ambient music. Though it’s definitely a step up from elevator-style Muzak, ambiance doesn’t really signal anything all that exciting or innovative to me. Each song felt like an excruciatingly long intro to a much better song…but the better song never came. Then again, this is how I tend to feel about most electronic/ambient music. Critics have said that this album set the tone for the modern take on those genres – well, at least I’m consistent.
Favorite Tracks: Green Calx; We Are the Music Makers; Xtal
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