Fragrant World
Yeasayer
Secretly Canadian
As an obsessive-compulsive procurer of free indie-pop and an avid fan of underground music sites, and being a frequent intoxicated patron of my beloved nightclub Zaphod’s on York Street, Yeasayer has always had a special place in my heart. The trio returns to the scene with third studio album, Fragrant World, a sombre and somewhat underwhelming follow-up to their acclaimed sophomore album, Odd Blood.
Don’t get me wrong; Yeasayer can be somewhat of an acquired taste even to the more subversive listener, but Fragrant World is lacking in direction, as the band’s signature sound of a complex yet harmonious synthetic tribal ensemble becomes lost within its own attempts of blending rhythm and style.
The album opens with “Fingers Never Bleed,” a cool, distorted beat on par with the band’s dynamic style of an elaborate, yet beautiful mechanism, only to be thwarted halfway through with a barrage of uninspired, misplaced samples. The album continues in this troubled fashion with “Longevity” as an ode to the ever-changing demand of trends within the industry. As vocalist Chris Keating sings, “Live in the moment, don’t count on longevity,” I can’t help but think this is the band’s confessional of the album being churned out without second thought or planning.
However, as I continued listening I began to feel a consistent pattern in the low energy levels within the songs. Even with “Henrietta,” the first single off the album, the songs were lacking the high-energy singles off Odd Blood. As I realized more and more I didn’t like where this was going, I began to listen to the album as a stand-alone. Quashing any notions that anything would present itself as a sequel to a personal favorite, “O.N.E.” I began to find a deeper appreciation to the dull undertones the album offered.
In a way, the songs began to present themselves more as raw, moody confessionals paired with a melancholic harmony of samples echoing a comparison towards background music found in the era of 2D videogames, (pleasing for any nerd at heart). However, there were pressing moments where at times the vocal track became so saturated with a variety of filters it became distracting and overwhelming.
Having said that, it’s true that the album finds its salvation in its consistently cool, low-energy vibe through and through, but still proves itself to be disjointed and somewhat shallow lyrically speaking. With Keating singing, “I don’t believe in much” in the song “Demon Road,” once again leaving me with the thoughts that the band wasn’t really inspired for this album.
If you are expecting anything as upbeat or danceable as the singles off Odd Blood, you are out of luck with this one. Having said that, the album has many songs on par with the deep cuts within Yeasayer’s anthology. Although Fragrant World falls victim to its lack of diversity, leaving some tracks to meld into one another unnoticed, it has a dark tone that if invested in, it will slowly grow on you over time.
