StRexPowerColt - City View Drive
Video game music is a difficult genre to review outside the domain of video games. In order to amuse the listener, there needs to be complexity; to purely rely on its aesthetics is a huge pitfall to fall into when making an album based on retro aesthetics. Yet, in the context of a video game, complexity can be an issue, because complex compositions tend to fall into the background. Simplicity is key, as well as an effective melody and outstanding coat of paint.
Without a well-produced or sharp production, though; video game music rarely stands on its own. StRexPowerColt’s City View Drive is no exception; it sadly doesn’t stand on its own as a coherent piece of art. It’s not without its cute moments, though. There are some neat atmospheres that are undeninably unique and extravagantly captivating; Shifting Gears and Creepy Stair Case pt 1/2 are both bizzarely charming, Going Home from the City View is delightful, and 11122221342 or Dark Corridor is uniquely progressive. Despite their creative directions, the abundantly poor production sadly hold these tracks back from reaching their full potential.
Moreover, there is sadly no accompanying video game to City View Drive. This is a shame, because many of these songs would have worked marvellously with the right art direction, though on their own they are abhorrently mixed and lack a coherent theme to tie them together. It’s apparent what’s mostly missing from City View Drive when listening to the delirious and lush soundscapes of the title track; much of the remaining album is similar, in that its’s inconsistently mixed and daftly in need of lower frequencies. In the context of video games, many of these melodies would certainly have worked; the same could be said with implementation of live instrumentation. On their own, though, they are not prolific enough to recommend. It’d be interesting to see how StRedPowerColt pairs these tracks with his upcoming video game, though until then, it’s difficult to recommend City View Drive.
Really Bad
Listen to it here:
StRexPowerColt - City View Drive
