The second album from Erika M. Anderson is a mercurial affair, changing style from song to song so much that no matter how much care and attention is given to the individual tracks, it doesn’t add up to a completely satisfying whole.
Individually, each song is an achievement. Opener ‘Satellites’ pulls from a seemingly random assortment of radio static and bass drones to make a very catchy beat, like a mix of The Knife and Gossip. ‘3Jane’ is a should-be shoegaze classic, borrowing the now-standard drum figure from ‘Just Like Honey’. ‘Solace’ features a dazzling arrangement, with round-style vocals. ‘Dead Celebrity’ references the military ‘Taps’ and samples fireworks.
All are impressive pieces of work, but when put together side by side, their genres clash in a distracting way. That seems to be by design; The Future’s Void is the latest in a recent flurry of albums to explore the concept of identity in the internet age. But like those recent albums, the concept isn’t really pulled off, and it just makes for a frustrating listen.
So while it might be a misguided piece of work, the care shown on the individual songs on The Future’s Void is further proof that EMA is an artist to watch.
3.5/5
The Future’s Void is out now throughMatador / Remote Control.
