I was speaking to a friend and former music critic about the difficulty in reviewing music that wasn’t noteworthy. It so happens that a lot of music exists that isn’t terrible and isn’t great, but it somewhere in between. What can be said about an album that is technically sound, but is unimaginative?
This is the quandary with Strange Pleasures. There are highlights to the album; opening track “The Trip,” at over six minutes, should be a bore but with both acoustic and lush electronic textures, it’s a strong start to the album. Another above-average track is “Beatcity” which moves the tempo up to be a more active number and maybe sounds better simply by comparison to some of the other songs. Largely though, the songs on this record are a lot of the same: breathy vocals, crystalline synths and pretty harmonies. None of this bad, but none are terribly exciting. These might also be b-sides to Washed Out or M83 albums. Depending on your perspective, that’s either high or faint praise. (Sub Pop, subpop.com) Devin King