[REPRODUCED FROM MY REVIEW FOR HOOTING AND HOWLING MAGAZINE]
Championed for their use of drone techniques with electronics and experimentalism, most agreed that Fuck Buttons seemed only to be going from strength to strength after two exceptionally satisfying albums, especially on their last outing, ‘Tarot Sport‘. ‘Slow Focus‘ serves as the third, and it is a mixed affair.
There is a promising sound to the album that reminds you: you are in the company of aficionados – this isn’t just some 8-bit electronic drone, though Fuck Buttons don’t always make the best argument against this with this set of songs.
‘Brainfreeze‘ is the gargantuan opener to the new record, opening with tribal drumming that becomes instantly alluring with the slurring yet enticing nature of the opening notes. This ‘aural assault’ lasts well into the remits of 8 minutes, and while that may seem tad superfluous; you notice that with two consecutive 10 minute songs closing the album, that’s the kind of listen that you’re in for. The criteria for making good use of the extra time would be to create something that is expansive and also appears timeless (i.e. you forget its length). ‘Brainfreeze‘ could make a good case for being a successful, longer song and its Dead Can Dance-esque nature, matched with ranging, eclectic synths make it one of the album’s better cuts.
‘Year of the Dog‘ follows and is a slice of shorter stuff that both struggles in the wake of such a bombastic forerunner and in attaining its own independent worth. The latter parts of third track, ‘The Red Wing‘, which itself boats a 7-minute runtime, are probably the best on the album, where the sounds explored up to this point on the album mesh to create something at once ear-tickling and again a positive assurance that good music is being made on this album. Chimes, drums and a small vocal sampling accompany the outro of the track, and while none of these components naturally fit, the result is more interesting than to just be crass and loud.
‘Sentients‘ is promising but becomes jarring and repetitive, culminating in the appearance of the all too familiar robotic voice that seems to plague this form of music. The harrowing nature of the sound of the use of the robotic voice arguably links it thematically to sounds on the ‘A Clockwork Orange’ album – if that serves as some indication to how this song (and most of the album) sounds. ‘Prince’s Prize‘ is equally alien and rhythmic, serving as the pre-requisite for the last two, 10-minute tracks ‘Stalker‘ and ‘Hidden XS‘. While expecting 20 minutes of the listener’s time to be devoted here, both songs are full of brilliant ideas, and are probably the two most productive songs on the album.
There is a controlled nature to the album that is a reflection of the duo refusing to work without each other and in the tightly knit way the songs were written and recorded. Let it not be said that the album, given that manner of control, is somehow impassive. True, they sound in control, but in the same way the truly great artists appear to tightly control the reigns of their creative output. It is a way of handling music that means the product is never pointless or aimless; but that doesn’t necessarily assure the songs hit the mark. ‘Slow Focus‘ is a tightly honed affair, and although the high standard of musicianship is prominently vocal on the record (one without words, nonetheless) some of the songs seem to succumb to a dull throb, where otherwise the sounds jolt but seem regularly confined to a narrower, harsher avenue. For Fuck Buttons purists, there certainly isn’t an abandonment of intent here, in truth the duo seem more well-focused than ever, even if the narrow nature of the albums mean it unfortunately has to be donned a “grower”.
7.5/10
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