One of the passants regarding an important, mainly USA-based environment Collective Family (CLLCT), James Eric decided last year to abandon the role of a singer-songwriter diminishing the chorus-based concept instead of introducing himself to more innovative-oriented music. In the first place, as a sign, he compiled the best of album We Got This Far - Best Of Eric James and chose out a quake-referencing name. The new self-named album of G.O.A.T was sharply set up against his previous, mainly smoothly driving indie pop. Such a behavior does not seem peculiar in similar situations because of huge attempts by the artist to make up a clear distinction between the two projects, between the past and the future. The 31-year-old Chicago musician did play with diverse genres. Dominated by the moulds within electronic pop and downtempo, which were a little variated by post-rock and ambient sequences. Some infiltrations of sound collage techniques shined through, though, as well. His soundscape was tumultuous, sometimes swinging mood music, a pleasant kind of muzak. Some sporadic DIY-overthrows only built up DIY-near natural attractiveness.
In the beginning of this year Eric released with Patrick Ripoll the joint release I Split On Your Grave (CLLCT) and issued the set of his B-side songs named Found Sounds: B-Sides 2009. Both of albums revealed the American in the wake of his excellence. The first was demonstrated by melancholic grip on barely perceivable post-rock tunes and the second was acoustic indie pop moving more close to the middle of more pop structures and his previous designation too (by the way, the guitars got back their previous dominant positions).
However, Life Of The Mind is back in the wake of his first album tracks. However, the recent one has a more circumscribed shape, all of those distinct structures have obviously less concern on creation of an electronically bleary milieu which gathering around the listener. Though, it abounds even in more diverse directions. Piano accords and glockenspiel will lead up into the following 10 tracks, and 42 minutes as well. Mannerism is hemmed by an epic rock concept. Next Dreams Are Real Good (you can rest now) is a mixture of spoken word, sound effects, stomping bass sounds, ambient, post-rock, and electronic pop/downtempo at that too. A kind of clumsiness and enchanting mist move hand in hand, underbearing the overall impression. Help is a modern classic number through its grandeur poses. I Can`t Sleep So I Dream Of You will continue in similar vein of the previous tracks which is accompanied by dreamy trumpet flows (in the embodiment of Tim Bales`s live recordings) in accordance with Miles Davis`s spirit though not for any long interval - it will be ended by a fine electronic introspective. By the way, the track contains of a noise sample by Isis. Not Young, But Restless is one of the highlights - the sounds which coming from remote distances, while creating powerful and convincing synthetic sound walls - which are conducted by a dateless motive - will make up your day. It is followed by an solitary acoustic track (Now I Sleep Tonight). Interplay between a guitar and a piano. The one and a subsequent one as being silent interludes do make little impact in the background of this concept which will set up the consciousness of the listeners getting wait for sheer experiences more and more. The Next Day Looks Brighter Than The Last is a beautiful melodic instrumental rock. The Night Is Awake will also be on similar path, although having a greater emphasis set up on a modern classic arrangement. In the ending track (NB! The tracks within the zip-folder at Mediafire do have different order of succession) The Reverse the synths, a bouncing drum rhythm and a spoken word line will be lifted up to the forefront conceptually nearing very close to the aesthetics of Holy Fuck, Fuck Buttons, Errors, The Octopus Project, and other similar artists as well. Undeniably one of the albums of the year.
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9.4
