Young Magic - Breathing Statues

After the scene is set with a brief vocal-effected 30-second intro, we begin with “Fall In”. Built on a rolling breakbeat and a staccato bass line, it continues the laid-back momentum of their debut album Melt. Difficult to predict, the beat never quite settles. The track could probably get away with hiding on Massive Attack’s Blue Lines, like E.T. in the cupboard full of toys. And the “Scarborough Fair” melody gets easier to ignore with each listen. A promising start.

That promise evaporates however as the four songs that follow manage to completely blend into each other. They just float on by, leaving little impression, making it difficult to tell where one ends and another begins. When one track finishes it’s gone, disappearing into the ether. The whole record is caked with layers of breathy effects, aiming to create space rather than fill it. Like a night-time drive though an empty city, lonely in the same streets usually filled by commuters. This production technique works, but at the detriment of the overall listening experience. The effects combine across all instrumentation and sounds making the record feel almost like a hushed whisper. And like a whisper, its details and nuances can get lost. Easy to listen to, difficult to actually hear.

Luckily, “Cobra” injects some much needed energy back into the album. A distorted, broken synth bounces around under a simple beat. Pads choked under so much side-chained compression you can feel its weight. It’s no more a “song” than the previous tracks, but at its core it’s aurally interesting. You can hear something happening; it no longer just washes over you like the tracks before it. “Holographic” manages to ride this wave of momentum too, its rhythmic keyboard melody in the chorus is the only part of the album you’ll find yourself humming along to.

The last three tracks fall back into same patterns that harmed the first part of the record. Emmanuel and Malay spend so much time creating a sense of space that most of the music is consumed by the vacuum; floating with nowhere to resonate. With Melt, Young Magic made an exciting, energetic new sound of their own. With Breathing Statues, Young Magic have made a record that aims for mood and tone above all else. A bold move, and the album is not without its high points. It’s all well and good being atmospheric, as long as the atmosphere you create is one worth spending a considerable amount of time in.