Review: Inventions - Inventions
[Temporary Residence, 2014]
Rating: 5/10
By Megan Fair, Copy Editor
Key Tracks: “Flood Poems,” “Psychic Automation”
Eluvium and Explosions In The Sky are two of those #twinkly bands that make immense music drenched in echoing soundscapes, so it makes sense that Mark Smith (Explosions) and Matthew Cooper (Eluvium) would pair up to create an album together. The fully instrumental self-titled work is certainly pretty and full of subtle beauty, like the gentle warming of skin in the sunshine on a walk to class or the smell of rain on a calm afternoon.
Unfortunately for Inventions, people often forget to stop and smell the roses and appreciate those little miracles, and this album requires a kind of attention and investment most music listeners are not willing to put forth. It’s a great work on the whole, marked by subtle touches that elevate its quality, but it could easily become ambient background noise and not an experience.
“Flood Poems,” a standout track, is ambient with humming and a synth that create a soothing soundtrack for a sunny picnic or studying with the windows open. It feels lighthearted and contemplative through all seven-plus minutes, and the length does not detract from the enjoyment.
Album closer and personal favorite “Psychic Automation” is relatively short and feels gentle despite its sonic depth. The endless echoes feel moving, and it conjures imagery of watching a lightning storm from a distance while sitting on the childhood porch. There’s a subtle anxious build, married with 1,000,001 small musical touches and movements on the layers and layers of tracks. It takes a few listens to catch everything that’s happening.
Its stark ending feels very important, as the sudden absence of sound leaves listeners to consider how much went on throughout the entire musical adventure of Inventions.
The biggest beef this listener has with this album is that, save for a few tracks, the music is just a showcase of talent and beauty. It doesn’t take the listener to a place in time, or put one’s emotions at the forefront. “Your Hand In Mine” by Explosions In The Sky says no words at all, but places a ghost hand that emanates love into the palms and brings warmth to the belly. It’s easy for the ambience of Inventions to become just that, ambience, that falls from the foreground of the mind and serves as pleasant background noise to daily tasks.
