Neopoliten - Null
What makes Neopoliten such an admirable artist is his ability to take in constructive criticism and learn from other producers on /mu/. He has come a long way from Shiba. His album, null, provides a stunning range of influences.
Under the Sea (shoegaze) is a stunning opener to the album, complete with alluring abrasive textures and a captivating riff. Dirty Now (indie rock) is a catchy tune with heartfelt child-like vocals. The ending section is bliss. Darkside (goth rock) encapsulates the sound well, though composition-wise is lacking. The aesthetic and demonic vocals bode Industrial Society (industrial metal) quite well, as does the maculate production. The amusing Ms. Anthropy (sludge) is borderline silly and concomitantly well executed. While Neopoliten isn’t expressive (rather apathetic, at that), he does have an excellent sense of humour. Auto-tune gives the following track, The Fall (hip hop/harsh noise), much admired charm. The track is a little long in the first section (brevity is key to the repetitive tracks), though the noise in the second half is tight. The charm continues on Sinkin’ (funk), Mohavi (no wave) and It’s Acting Up (blues rock). Each song is very well executed. The new-wave song is perhaps the highlight; replicating the early work of the Pop Group in a stylistic manner. Dead and Gone (indie rock) is a little silly, though ends the album in a delightful manner.
Null is an exceptionally well-done record. Its strength lies in its range of music; though this also highlights its major flaw – it’s lacking any personality of its own. Neopoliten is perfectly capable of replicating each genre of music fluently, though he is unable to mix them uniquely. Moreover, this project was made in 5 days; had he taken a significantly longer time to flesh things out, it’d work out better. The tracks are all one-trick ponies and lack dynamics/progression. Unlike his earlier works, though, the production is fantastic, and the vocals are greatly improving. He’s perfectly capable of making something truly great, and I encourage him to keep working on it.
Average
Listen to it here:
Neopoliten - Null
