the mechanical forces of love

medicine

astralwerks, 2003

Mood—Jarring, Lo-fi, Surfy... a mixed bag.

Sample: "Best Future"

Thoughts— There are some truly beautiful moments on The Mechanical Forces Of Love, but they are submerged beneath static, heavily phased and distored instrumentation, and the occasional weird noise out of nowhere.

Listening to the whole album from start to finish I end up with a bit of a headache. It's not because the music is bad. It's not bad. But the effects used throughout end up being tinny and harsh. I'd love to hear these tracks after they've been stripped of a few of the more obtrusive effects. There are really great harmonies in "Good For Me" and "As You Do" that could really shine.

Taken a track at a time, Medicine works for me. The whole thing is just too much. I get the feeling that "too much" is Medicine's M.O., which doesn't work for me.

The standout tracks are all on the first half of the album, while "Negative Capability" and "Whiz" get a bit more experimental, quickly switching between rhythms, piling on the distortion, and altogether feeling a bit lost. The latter portion of this one is definitely the more headache-inducing of the two. "And Sometimes Y" rounds out the album well, but by then it's too late, as I'm already reaching for the Advil.

Recommended? Not unless they come out with an acoustic version, which won't happen.

Link—amazon page

Tracklist
1. As You Do
2. I Smile To My Eyes
3. Wet On Wet
4. Best Future
5. Ioi
6. I'm Yrs
7. Astral Gravy
8. Good For Me
9. Negative Capability
10. Whiz
11. Sodden Rockets
12. And Sometimes Y