Stead and with patience, Ive been enjoying this lengthy eight minute juggernaut known as Trilogy for some months now. When first recommended the debut album by Carpenter Brut, surely a nod to John Carpenter? I was taken aback by the sheer volume of listeners visible on Spotify. To my limited knowledge, this might just be the biggest artist in the retroactive world of Synthwave? That was excuse alone to invite me in. My caution however, came as a result of fatigue. The genre had established its identity swiftly and now an army of adoring clones has been ushered in, emulating the sound and its tropes to a point where the music can feel stale. At least to this listener.
It took time, but with repetition, then familiarity, the class of these compositions emerged with gleam. Frankly, there is a thematic horror on offer that goes beyond the typical synth tones and nostalgic electricity of Synthwave. Energized baselines prop up steady dance floor grooves for a body moveable warmth to be found in every track, as excursions into the nightly mystique unravel. Often spearheaded by its more extravagant and experiment worbling synths, Brut cracks open whats possible with these dense oscillations on more than one occasion. These moments expand on the mood, with theatrics and noise manipulation turning tunes with twisted expressions.
After a handful of tracks, starting specifically with Roller Mobster, intensity amplifies and the execution tightens up. Although the following music explores temperaments and scenic passages more chilled and cautious, its synthetic instruments arrive with gloss and glaze, a slick polish for its liveliness. The density and weight is stunning as rapid pulses of jittering melodies dance macabre atop its dark thumping percussion. Many instruments interchange, taking center stage , giving voice to the cyber dystopian atmospheres conjured. Trilogy is truly is a wild ride through the neon lit night life of cities but Brut's music takes us much further than the established tropes.
A sense of horror and spectacle permeates as each song finds its avenue. To be fair, they are not to distant from one another but they find a character. At its end, Anarchy Road introduces a one of vocal performance to lukewarm reception. I'm uncertain of Brut's singing. Neither good or bad, the voice is simply present with little in the way of power or persuasion. He sounds like a softer Ulver, waging in meekly. The music so works so well its hard to imagine a voice bringing much more to the table but that wasn't it. Anyways, my conclusion? One of the classiest Synthwave records I've heard. Trilogy is solid front to back and surpasses any tiring that clones brought along.
Rating: 8/10