A perfect time to make sure your shoelaces are tied

Musings on music delivered when I dig myself out.

A perfect time to make sure your shoelaces are tied

Or "Birds Over Barges," the first track off the latest Isan album, Meet Next Life

This probably sounds awful, but I'm really having to search deep down to find words to describe this song that don't come off as negative. See! It's difficult; difficult not because this song is so bad that I have to follow the principle of "if you don't have anything nice to say, don't say anything at all." No, more because this song is so passive, so incredibly laid back that you have to search every nuance of the track to find something to talk about. For six and a half minutes, the British duo sequence carefully thumbed guitar, twinkling chimes, some percussive instrument that might as well be plumbing tubes (Blue Man Group-stylee) and deep synths that go aaaaaahhhhhhh -- all on top of some very Air-like drum programming. The finished product is very chilled out and non-descript, like Four Tet stripped of his zest or Boards of Canada without their IDM moments. This song would be excellent for zoning out, reading, or perhaps catching up on homework, but I wouldn't suggest it for active listening.

Published Tuesday, November 30, 2004 | 0 comments | E-mail this post