Those who fondly remember Simian Mobile Disco for the duo’s radio-ready offerings, be prepared for an entirely new experience. Recorded live at Joshua Tree in California with the aid of only a sequencer and a synth each,Whorlis a decidedly darker outing that gently takes you by the hand and then drags you along for the ride.
Packed to bursting with grumbling bass and synth lines that jab, stab and whirl themselves around the base of your brain, this album sees the producers push the boat out in terms of creativity. Listening to each track come slowly to life, built from the ground up, works stunningly in many parts of the album, but is vastly underwhelming in others. Opener ‘Redshift’ gets things off to an awkward start. An attempt at building drama and suspense quickly becomes indulgent and uninteresting. Tracks such as ‘Calyx’ keep things on point with a nice melodic edge.
Overall, Whorl certainly requires patience and the absence of vocals lends a curious eeriness.
Calling this record a ‘psychedelic’ experiment sells it tragically short. Simian Mobile Disco have extended themselves well past their previous repertoire with some undeniably dance-ready tracks.
3.5/5.
