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Tortoise - It’s All Around You
Artist: Tortoise
Album: It’s All Around You
Release Date: April 6, 2004
Label: Thrill Jockey
Home Base: Chicago
Web: http://www.trts.com
Rating: 4 out of 5 stars
I must admit, I’ve come to write about Tortoise’s latest release “It’s All Around You” without knowledge of the band or it’s music. This is my favorite way to review an album. Without any preconceived ideas about what it should sound like, or what I HOPE it sounds like. Just me, a CD, a pair of headphones and nothing to clutter the space in between.
If someone had explained the album to me before hand I would’ve never taken a chance. The description most certainly would have included the words “instrumental”, “art rock” and “atmospheric”. Words that usually don’t get me excited, however “It’s All Around You” has much to offer those who listen. I am certainly glad I did.
The album contains enough stellar musicianship to show any prog rock dork that bands without capes can also impress.
Don’t let the mention of “prog rock” scare you, because although intricate, the instruments do not bring attention to themselves for the sake of intellect-only stimulation. This is complex mood-music at it’s finest. It’s as beautifully atmospheric and minimalist as Brian Eno’s best ambient work while at the same time being as technically proficient as a King Crimson record.
The album starts out with the decidedly chilled-out title track. This opening song has an improvisational sounding guitar line setting atop snare brushes, and a minimal yet melodic low-end that is all stuck together with vibraphones and synths. This is high-grade urban chill out music. A full 45 minutes of stuff like this would please me, but Tortoise go much further here.
Unfortunately, the hope for perfection always falls short. And with track #2, “The Lithium Stiffs” the album does just this. We still have the chilled-out undertones but this time with midi choral voices. The human voices give us a series of “ahhhs” over a minimalist canvas. Honestly, it sounds as if a first year music student was let loose in the midi lab. “Hey man, that human choral voice sounds cool! Let’s build a song around it!”
It just goes nowhere.
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