Now Is

Rival Consoles eighth album follows two of the most ambitious, conceptual releases the producer has made so far, Articulation and Overflow. On Now Is, he seems to be deliberately stepping back from the headiness of his previous two albums and creating something lighter and more easygoing, with a natural flow to it. The record incorporates acoustic instruments along with modular synthesizers, though usually in a subtle manner, with woodwinds momentarily drifting in the mix near the beginning of "Frontiers," for example. The tracks tend to focus on glowing, breathing melodies rather than complex rhythms. "World Turns" features staggered patterns and dusty feedback over a steady midtempo thump, while the particularly stirring "Eventually" has icy notes rippling from a post-dubstep beat. The simmering title track is closer to the ambient side of trance, with a bridge featuring distant tones blurring the lines between strings and synths. "Echoes" has a simple, standout melody that is explored in great detail, with chiming percussion folded in during the breakdown, and "Running" similarly contains crafty drum editing. While the album is never quite intense, it definitely slows down and decreases its energy during the final stretch. "The Fade" is a blurry, snowy interlude, and "A Warning" is closer to ambient jazz, with slow, gentle drums steadily framing a gleaming melody that is slightly twisted and smudged through effects. Lastly, "Quiet Home" is a glacial piano piece that feels like bundling up by the fire in a cabin during a blizzard. ~ Paul Simpson