Fjords: Sounds of Summer

 

            Well, here it goes.  The first review, the first real day of action, here on Track-By-Track.  Hope it goes well.  Wish me luck?

             I’m reviewing Observer Drift’s second full-length album, Fjords (2013). I’ve been a fan of this artist’s music ever since I came across the LP Corridors, on a random shoegaze search on Bandcamp. I first downloaded it almost straight on to my mp3 player, and later thought: “Wow, these people are really good”. Little did I know then, it only took one person (Collin Ward, to be exact) to make these sounds. I’ve been hooked ever since. That was a year ago.
             This time, Fjords sets a new bar for quality in independent music. Many of the songs sound like they were produced and mastered in a professional studio, yet without too much attention to the standard verse-chorus-bridge stuff most songs now apply themselves to. It’s free-flowing, and above all, it sounds extremely modern, or maybe even post-modern, in a good way. I feel like this is a sample of the new style of music, whether many mainstream radio stations and labels catch on or not.

            This album is everything I hoped for and more, and won’t disappoint, whether you’re looking for relaxing or energizing music.  And it’s an interesting departure from Ward’s previous work, without ignoring or throwing out the things that made his older songs work so well.

            Here’s my TBT:

            The album starts with “Machine”, which sounds like a somewhat more modern callback to Corridors; the perfect intro to the next hour of your life.  There are some Jónsi & Alex-esque sounds, pleasantly overpowered by spacey-synths, and that trademark guitar style Ward has by now perfected.  At just over 6 minutes, I was glad to not worry about it ending too soon.  In the last third of the song, it breaks into an Arcade Fire-like amalgam of the sounds of the previous Observer Drift sounds, but again, with more modern synths, to let you know you’re in for a new ride.

            Next, comes “Sporting Chance”, which is a danceable song, and in which, the album really takes on its new style.  The vocals are deftly sung, with just enough reverb to make it mainly a chillwave song, without taking away its good-pop catchiness; and the synth and guitar hooks make it that much more awesome.

            "Azimuth" is the third track, which is a bit indie, but the (likely) pitch-treated guitar makes it transcend beyond most indie songs.  Great synth tones bring it far into the 21st century.  The lyrics are basic, and very catchy.  It builds, and though it didn’t immediately grab me, by the end of the song, I loved it.  And as you’ll probably hear in future reviews, I’m a huge fan of falsetto.

            "Riptide" brings a syncopated beat, with loads of Summer energy in the vocals and instrumentation.  The lyric: “You hit me like a riptide” makes me think of how this album pretty much immediately catches and captivates; this album will hit you like a riptide, but you’ll want to stay in its sonic ocean.  A nice synth solo in the middle brings back the good 80s style we’ve all but forgotten in modern pop, only to be abruptly stopped by the sound of rain, and an ambient guitar line, and before you expect, it's a whole new melody.  The line “Keep to the plan and don’t look back” sums up the style and pace of this album.

            The title track brings a whole new dimension to Ward’s work.  It feels like an instant hit.  The acoustic guitar and slow beat makes it mellow, yet powerful, and vocals are treated with a great eq, and heavy reverb at all the best times.  It instantly makes me think of a sunset, maybe because of the hook: “We can live tonight”.

            "Marina" comes next, and it’s reminiscent of the first Observer Drift release, Coloured My Heart Red (EP).  Love the treated or sampled tones that occassionally add some great watery mood to the song.  The lyrics didn’t catch me at first, but as with the rest of Observer Drift, it’s addictive, without bad side-effects.

            "Lingonberry" definitely showcases lo-fi influences well, and there are some great lyrics throughout.  Like many of the other songs, it has hit-quality, without losing the alternativeness which makes it so great.  It’s a bit like Ward’s first release as well.  And Ward’s lyrical skill actually made me grin during this one.

            The 8th track, "Never Strangers", is a change of style once again, sounding reminiscent of Coldplay at first.  It begins with guitar and a few soft non-guitar tones, and then, as if by request, it becomes an almost “Modern Man” Arcade Fire-style indie track.  It takes you right out of your expectations, and gets better with every second.  Some of the vocal harmonies also remind me of M83, and the lyrics are top-notch.  And the ending is really fitting.

            "Mirror Image" gets back to the sun-and-water-soaked sound Azimuth, Riptide, and Sporting Chance also showcase.  It just sounds like Summer.  The interesting guitar chords are a bit like what I expected from My Bloody Valentine after all these years, and a bit like what they came up with; but not to digress, they’re perfectly complimented by great lyrical hooks, which Ward seems to be something of a pro at writing.  It seems like some guitar tracks are slowed or pitch-changed below normal, and the electronic drum track is great, even though it only really becomes noticeable at the end.

            The 10th track, "Binary Love", was the only track to be partially released long before the album was released.  The chorus was first available on the Observer Drift Soundcloud page, and though it’s a great track, I was actually surprised that some of the levels and layers sound held-back more on this release.  I think the Soundcloud demo had more reverb, so the track feels a bit more right there.  The beat is very addictive, and with the guitar and lyrical hooks, I bet it would be great for party-style dancing.

            “Parallel Place” brings in some more Corridors-style night-mist atmosphere.  The guitars and synths perfectly compliment each other in the beginning, and then the drums abruptly show themselves.  This sounds like it would be a good ending for the album, especially because of the lyrics, but it’s actually just a slower, softer moment on the album.  It becomes an anthem, with some Sigur Rós-esque glockenspiel near the end.

            “Up in Arms” feels almost like a post-script, after what felt like the end (don’t worry, the real end is coming later); but it reminds the listener that it’s more about the continually-changing evolution from sound to sound and style to style on this album.  It’s very surfy, and has that Observer Drift sound.  Dangerously catchy.

            The penultimate track, “Gnarly Crunch”, is an instrumental track, with trancy-synths, and lightly funk-influenced bass, with a guitar that sometimes sounds like a classic vibraphone.

            The final track, “Teach Me”, is a very fitting and unexpected ending.  It’s mainly a folky song, that totally takes the listener by surprise.  Great vocals and heartfelt guitar make this perfect for the wind-down after the awake energy of most of the album.  I won’t ruin the surprise by saying any more, but though it's almost redundant to say this, it proves that this album has been about change, yet with a certain nostalgia and reverence of the past.

            Overall, this album is extremely strong, and were I a doctor, I’d prescribe it for patients as a cure for the blues (mental, not musical; blues music is great).  You can stream it for free at http://observerdrift.bandcamp.com, and you can get CD quality versions of the streaming tracks, and the final, order-only track, from that link as well.  As the line goes in the opening track of Ward’s first EP “Sometimes it pays for us to wait”.  And it certainly has with Fjords.