Grimes, for me, is one of those artists whom you always intend to listen to but never actually get round to doing so. I've seen all the previous critical acclaim for Grimes and I've read other incredibly positive reviews for not only this album but her previous album Visions which was nominated for quite a few awards. So, finally I got around to listening to Grimes and I'm just not sure if it was what I was expecting or not.
The first track, Laughing and Not Being Normal is pretty much an instrumental but it's fun and poppy and we finally get to hear Grimes towards the end of the song wherein she presents this beautifully simplistic voice and I discover that she is a genuine joy to listen to, a little hard to get into at first, but eventually it grows on you. Now the track Scream, I have no idea what this is or what language it is in, I would hazard a guess at Korean, but it is awful and literally unlistenable. I'm not entirely sure why this song was included or whether it is something she does often, but hopefully not again. Now the most outstanding track on the album is Flesh Without Blood, this song has strong synths running throughout with a soulful loop going over the top. It has a catchy chorus implemented a sense of soul with it that I just love to hear and after that Scream song on this album I honestly wasn't expecting this beauty of a song to appear.
Kill V Maim is another highlight of the album with strong electro influences and a soft tone in Grimes' voice leading up to the chorus which starts with a hollow scream and then blows into this large chorus which was unexpected but I was delighted to hear. Grimes has created a new lane for herself here, with potentially radio friendly pop but then it takes a wild swing and suddenly it's this far left field pop which creates a dark, enticing atmosphere at times. Grimes has such a fresh take on alternative 'pop' music that it is such a pleasure to listen to. Her voice is smooth and caresses the beats on this album so well that it fits together to make an album that I otherwise may not find as intriguing or interesting. Grimes certainly has made a strong potential for a fan out of me, I thoroughly recommend giving this album a listen.
Kill V Maim is another highlight of the album with strong electro influences and a soft tone in Grimes' voice leading up to the chorus which starts with a hollow scream and then blows into this large chorus which was unexpected but I was delighted to hear. Grimes has created a new lane for herself here, with potentially radio friendly pop but then it takes a wild swing and suddenly it's this far left field pop which creates a dark, enticing atmosphere at times. Grimes has such a fresh take on alternative 'pop' music that it is such a pleasure to listen to. Her voice is smooth and caresses the beats on this album so well that it fits together to make an album that I otherwise may not find as intriguing or interesting. Grimes certainly has made a strong potential for a fan out of me, I thoroughly recommend giving this album a listen.
7.5/10