renfro – Mathematics

renfro are an experimental electronica outfit with a peculiar style all to themselves - their sound is of electronics and systems breaking down, populated as it is by throbbing repetitions and crispy pops and clicks as if produced by still-connected circuit boards and children's toys liberally doused in fuel and set aflame. The pace is often languid, the songs often long and meandering, framing quiet, introspective and even slightly effeminate vocals - and yet somehow this is all deeply affecting and engaging. With so much music, we seem to find ourselves waiting and idling on a moneyshot chorus moment in songs that hang determinedly from their hooks. renfro (not uniquely, of course) reject this kind of songwriting and, consequently, we find ourselves listening intently despite, or even because of, the fact that we know there will not be a conclusive epiphany moment. Such is life.Perhaps the best showcase for the musical style on this full length, Mathematics, is the second track "Broken Little Pieces". Those pops-as-percussion are present and correct, the cryptic truisms in the lyrics lined up ("just looking at the ice won't make it melt / swimming in the river won't reach the sea"). In some ways it represents the album in microcosm, but one of my criticisms is that it's only a little better at doing that than the other tracks, because Mathematics is very samey. In terms of arrangements the album ranges only from "sparse" to "very sparse" and in theme, the album rarely strays outside a narrow remit that encapsulates introspection, confusion, and thoughtfulness. How appealing the album is as a whole is going to depend on how interesting you find this mode. If you find enjoyment in intelligently relaxing electronica, then there is much to be enjoyed here."Terrain" makes the theme of systemic collapse and decay explicit, explaining that "there's a bug in this machine". Even the album's title hints at the logical, machine-like approach to sound that renfro display, but there's something inherently human not only about the vocals and lyrics but also about how they gel with the album's crackly, melancholic landscapes. Perhaps we are but machines of a sort ourselves. 81%renfro on MySpace