Relics
Faded Paper Figures
2014
Indietronica
I discovered this album while I was at Colectivo (a super nice little café in McMasterville that unfortunately closed down, nothing worse honestly), thanks to my Spotify Discovery which, at the time, was giving me songs I was genuinely interested in while still being from genres I hadn't explored yet. Even though my first thought was “wht da hell this sounds like ad music,” I still decided to give this album a chance because some unacknowledged part of me kind of liked it deep down.
Even if they're definitely not reinventing the wheel when it comes to melodies, chords and/or lyrics, I don't think every album needs to be 100% original ideas. The vibe does a lot of the heavy lifting on Relics, with a good mix of more acoustic instruments and some funky-as-hell synths, plus two beautiful, very clean voices that complement the instrumental on every track. For my musical consumption needs, this album often ends up being what I put on when I want to listen to music but also need to focus on something else, because everything blends together well and there are almost never any big intense moments that would make me lose focus on my work. It's an album that knows what it is, and that works best when playing in its own comfort zone, which makes it very cohesive, even if a few songs are a bit less memorable. Which is a-okay! I like that the album isn't all fireworks all the time, it feels nice and it works in pretty much any context.
Breathing
For an album that has some really cool synths, they really decided to open with one of their most annoying ones. Other than that, the song is perfectly fine. Nothing insane, nothing that makes me jump to the ceiling and drool on myself, but nothing that makes me growl like a rabid animal either. Just a bit underwhelming as an album opener. That said, the chorus is nice, simple but effective, and the little vocal chops toward the end are pretty fun.
Wake Up Dead
I really like their more acoustic songs, the mix of real instruments and synths works so well, especially here. Also, this album really has a gift for making miracles out of like one voice and two instruments in its verses. This song is a perfect example, the verse is so stripped down without ever feeling like anything is missing. Even if the percussion gets a bit obnoxious at times (looking at you shakers and claps), the song is so calm and steady, it's just a beautiful vibe. And the bridge before the end is the kind of musical passage I'd like to have a child with.
Not the End of the World (Even as We Know It)
Omg this is my jam! THIS IS MY JAM DAMN IT! Ahem. This track is split into two very different moods. The verses feel like a train ride, with a steady rhythm and a constant machine-gun spray of words. Everything is low, like the soft motor of one of the best means of transportation on planet Earth. And the choruses give off total car commercial vibes, full of joy and easily marketable to young adults dreaming of road trips with their friends (like me). And the song ends on what's actually one of their biggest energy peaks on the entire album, and holy hell is it deserved! 1000/10, it makes me want to be a bimbo, my life would be so much easier.
Lost Stars
Damn, when their synths are good, they are GOOD. And this one sets the vibe for the whole track, you feel like you're in space, an atmosphere helped by the slight low-cut on the vocals and the lack of instruments in the verse (a classic move on this album). And then suddenly, bam! The chorus hits, and it feels like someone refilled my oxygen tank. There's this rotation effect during the verse that's super disorienting in a really cool way, and we finally get a real solo!!! Super simple, but it fits the mood perfectly. And by Toutatis we end on such a beautiful note, with harmonies that make me feel like I'm ascending to heaven and getting sucked off by an angel. Wow.
Fellaheen
I like when a song takes its time. And with this one, you really feel time passing. The kick drum has the same feel as the sound of a mechanical clock, but it actually works so well to have such a present rhythm in a more acoustic song, it gives it structure. The atmosphere is super sweet, I don't even mind having the lyrics whispered in my ear. And there are so many little fun details to notice, like the cymbals, the guitar in the bridge, the “bum bum bum” before the choruses, all these little toys that come together to make a beautiful diorama.
On the Line
For the first time in the history of this website, we land on a yellow track. A song I don't really like. It's not necessarily bad, but like… it just doesn't do it for me. The synth feels too much like gravel, makes me want to clear its throat. And the chorus is way too epic and grandiose, they didn't really earn it after that goofy little verse. If the choruses were in a different song, they'd be great! But as it is, usually when this one comes on I forget I'm even listening to an album and I just lock in on whatever I was doing, which is a positive effect in itself, just maybe not the intended one.
Spare Me
The most “video game” track on the album in my opinion. Not a bad thing, but it is what it is! The verse feels so hidden, it makes me want to sneak around in forbidden places. The chorus, on the other hand, is fuller, but in a way that feels much more justified than some songs on this album. The play with filter and decay on the synths is really nice, I still can't get over it. And my goddess, the vocal glitch section. By Amos Daragon, that vocal glitch part being different in each ear!! It's constantly stuck in my head, plus with that ultra-fuckable electronic chime in the background, it's honestly one of the best parts of the album.
Who Will Save Us Now?
This is another lock-in song. It's not bad, there are some cool bits like the “ooooooh” which are delightful. By the way, huge positive point for the whole album, their voices are so buttery smooth. Never irritating, never weird, always comforting like two good soups poured straight into my eardrums. Anyways, this song builds itself really well one element at a time, it takes its time and I don't have much else to say, except that it blends seamlessly into:
Horizons Fall
Good lord, if the last song was good at building atmosphere, this one teaches a real masterclass. A little track that feels more like an interlude, with Minecraft-style piano and a very stomp-clap beat, it's just groovy and pleasant, nothing more complicated than that.
Real Lies
And it's the return of cool fucking synths!! My god, this song has such a corny chorus though. Can't ignore it, “Real eyes realize real lies” is some r/im14andthisisdeep bullshit, but who even cares when the swag is dripping out of every pore in this track? Not me. We've had songs that make me lock in subconsciously, but this one makes me do it on purpose. Like, I choose to have my little focus montage moment. There are so many cool little instruments too, like the chime, the synth doing arpeggios, and the string instrument in the solo that I can't even identify. A solid upbeat main-character vibe, just how we like it.
What You See
Eh. Not bad, but the vibe is… off. The song has too much energy for its actual feeling, like an old guy trying to do young moves but you can tell he's about to break something any second now. There are definitely bits of a good song in there, but the way it's put together just doesn't really work. That's fine though, they can't all be perfect.
Forked Paths
Oh. My. Demeter. What an absolutely EVIL ending. I love it. It's so different from the rest of the album, it's scary, stressful, unsettling, it gives me badger skin and makes my paws rise. It feels like everything was calculated to pump me full of adrenaline to fight ghosts. The piano doing octaves, the voices that manage to pull off the “cult chants” effect without being cringe, and the rhythm that makes my heart beat so much faster. For an album that's generally upbeat, they do stress incredibly well. And as soon as the rhythm stops, it all goes calm and kind of beautiful actually. A great way to close the loop on this album. Bravo Faded Paper Figures, hats off (and mittens too).
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