It’s hard not to get all poetical when talking about this album, with its vast textures and intricate details. It is slow, subtle and at times quite fragile, which may be a surprise if you know the earlier work of Matthew Jeanes (aka Larvae).
Exit Strategy is a beautiful album. It’s an immersive listen, full of haunting snatches of melodies that float ethereally, drifting in and out of the music like fragments of dreams remembered soon after waking. It’s hard not to get all poetical when talking about this album, with its vast textures and intricate details. It is slow, subtle and at times quite fragile, which may be a surprise if you know the earlier work of Matthew Jeanes (aka Larvae), who’s diaphragm rattling basses, heavy beats and low drones have been gracing stages and speakers for something like ten years now. Although having said that, I think this is a natural progression if you look at Larvae’s discography sequentially. The last major release—Loss Leader (Ad Noiseam, 2008)—was clearly heading towards the path of introspection.
From the unassuming beginnings of the opening track “Locked From The Inside,” the deceptively striped back style is clearly laid out. Melancholy and contemplative atmospheres swirl lazily, a few notes picked out on a guitar, all build subtly to create what ends up being a pretty vast sonic landscape to find yourself wandering about in. There are a lot of ‘real’ instruments throughout the album, often guitar but also others. The drums are fantastic when you really listen to them, intricate edits made to very live sounding kits. In fact, when you really get down to it, there is loads of stuff going on, everything has had attention paid to it, and the movement and development of elements within tracks is quite outstanding.
This is an album you need to spend some time with. It’s not going to grab you by the throat and force your body to move, or convulse or whatever; the bass won’t upset the neighbours, and the aggression levels are way down, enough for your Cliff Richard loving Nan to be fine about. But some days you need music that will help you wind your way through those tricky forests of self-inspection, a guiding hand to lead you into the comfortable folds of wistful remembrance, and the imaginings of all that might have been, and what may yet be. Do you know what I mean?
Exit Strategy is available on Ad Noiseam. [Bandcamp]
