Mind Brains new self-titled album definitely falls into this realm. Harnessing a massive range of elements, from classical, to electronic, to fundamental rock instruments, the album takes the approach of throwing everything at the listener in hopes that something brilliant may come out.
While not brilliant, the album has plenty of high points. The opening track, “Happy Stomp” utilizes lots of different instrumentation including keys, strings, percussion and even unison vocals. The track bounces around, changing tempo and feel, like a twisted carnival seeking tranquility.
“Body Horror” comes in with heavy keys. The distant synthesized voices, that if in focus may sound very pleasant, have an evil quality on this track. The vocal styling becomes even more obscure on “The Morning Before the Morning Before the Dawn. The vocals are more distinct and become more sustained as they begin to match the low tone of the sustained keys, reaching an almost monastery level.
It is not until the second half when we realize the albums biggest flaw is its lack of direction. Experimental albums are great, but there must be a theme, a story, or at least some structure to the album. While the tracks are mostly executed with precision, and original in composition, its lacks a common thread binding them. That’s not to say that the album is bad, it’s actually quite good, but be prepared for a mix bag of songs, which represent a band experimenting with dozens of different song directions. With some continuity, this album could be stellar.
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