Fog – Idle Hands
Fag has returned with the final album of his triology, Infinite Love, an exceptionally moody piece of art that’s basically Toy Story 3 to Toy Story 1; the same shit again.
Popping Balloon Animals - Pops more brain cells than balloons
Little Lamb - Twisted and stylish. The sample is well utilised, and the progression is fantastic. Most impressive is the use of space within the track; each channel progresses in its own manner, congruent to the other. Eeriness dominates the second half as it becomes progressively louder and amalgamates into a haunting nightmare. The resolution is anticlimactic, though works in favour of its progression into the next suite.
Painted Dogs - What’s causing all these animals around the world to walk in circles? It’s almost biblical in nature, and there’s no proper explanation for it. Could it be because of 5G? Perhaps they’re protesting against the CCP? All I know is this song is the perfect soundtrack for it; dark, ominous, and goes around in circles.
Time is Running Out - Time most certainly is running out; a shame the artist wasted it on a track that sounds like one walking from one side of the room to the other while being haunted by Hans Zimmer. Thankfully, it pays off well; the poignant ending is well executed.
Idle Hands -Fluff-territory. The subtle progression is neat, but the underlying soundscape is boring and has been explored to death already. The artist has already utilised the bell gimmick before; a shame it’s being retreated here. Try a triangle next time, fam.
The Magic Chord - Where exactly was the magic chord?
Infinite Love - A boring, 7-minute drone track. Hopefully the dubbi remix will be better.
Hors D'oeuvres are Served - Easily the best track on the album, mostly because is amplifies everything up. The heavy soundscape is consistently amplifying, while its elements simultaneously lament in their own lunacy. One could only imagine the whole album sounding as confident and chaotic as this track, and how much better it would be in doing so.
Whereas Basking In It had a unique tribal element to accompany its maniacal soundscape, Idle Hands sounds lacking in comparison. It’s well composed, and arguably the artist’s greatest technical marvel, though it lacks in a wow-factor. This is mostly because of its predictability. When it’s not predictable, it’s far too blunt; climaxes are not earnt, but rather slapped on. It’d be unfair to say it lacks innovation, though; the artist has a distinct sound that’s cemented further by his latest release; it simply relies on space far too much. Mood and atmosphere can only take an album so far. Suffice to say, the album is missing complexity, and spends way too much time in drone territory.
Regardless, unlike his previous self-titled release, Idle Hands benefits from an impressive array of sounds. It’s simply too drawn out and blandly pieced together, though. Outside of Little Lamb, everything is too plainly structured, almost as if it’s trying to be more accessible. More experimentation in the layering and composition would have made repeated listens far more enticing. You’ll hear everything you need to hear on the first run-through, and there’ll be little to invite you back.
Good
Listen to it here:
https://fogsound.bandcamp.com/album/idle-hands
Fog - Idle Hands
