(fax) Smart

[Graham Banting]

While definitely lacking cohesion as an album, I was somewhat surprised to 
rather enjoy this one myself. 'Fokstrot' was quite catchy I thought.

GB

----- Original Message ----- 
From: "Dave at Fax USA (EAR/Rational Music)" <dave at faxlabelusa.com>
To: "Fax List" <faxlist at 2350.org>
Sent: Tuesday, July 11, 2006 9:46 PM
Subject: (fax) Smart


> I've really been digging "Smart" lately. It was one of those CDs I 
> dismissed at first, and now, revisiting it, I think it's pretty great. Eno 
> guests on 3 tracks, and while I like those tracks, it's the rest of the 
> album that grabbed me.
>
> The album starts off with Strakita which is a nice plodding ambient track 
> with slightly echoed piano. I like the New Composers use of piano, 
> although the piano itself is the least ambient part of their work. This is 
> not Harold Budd territory, folks.
>
> I won't review every track, but the 4th track, "Palace of Friendship on 
> Fontanka" is really, really nice. Dreamy ambience, again with the piano, 
> waves, some bird sounds (or are they some sort of water animal, like a 
> walrus?). Almost cliched in the combination of sounds, but they do it up 
> nice.
>
> A couple of tracks are beat-driven, danceable pieces (324-A and Adept) 
> which flow really well. Adept is really a catchy track, again with piano, 
> some Asian instruments (Shakuhachi, maybe?) and a nice little "click" here 
> and there. There is a standard drum track, but that "click" is really 
> cool. Little elements like that can really add to a track in my opinion, 
> even though it's a simple sound.
>
> There is some weird stuff here, including Sirens of Titan, which could 
> find a home on any adult easy-listening station, and Fokstrot, with its 
> Hammond organ and 1950s sound. They're not off-putting, but they seem out 
> of place.
>
> Eno's contribution (Long SQ, Short SQ, and La-La-La) is nice, to be sure, 
> but probably not required listening except for perhaps an Eno fanatic. If 
> you like other New Composers work such as Advanced Indigo, I think this 
> will appeal (although I'd say it's more subdued that AI), but I don't know 
> if I would hunt it down just for the Eno tracks.
>
> Just my 2 cents.
> Dave
>