'Murmations' is Simian Mobile Disco’s sixth, and most ambitious, album to date. It establishes a more philosophical aesthetic, with existential noise shaping the pathways chosen by James Ford and Jas Shaw.
Building this LP around the vocals of the London-based, all-female singing collective Deep Throat Choir, ‘Murmations’ mimics the gliding wind dance of its name as rhythms and melodies soar from track to track. Juxtaposing the illusion of height with its shifting tempo, standout track A Perfect Swarm demonstrates this perfectly.
While already known for their imaginative album concepts - the food-derived compendium of beats ‘Delicacies’ is perhaps the best example - and ability to translate still life into moving art, ‘Murmations’ takes Simian Mobile Disco to higher ground.
Just as brazen confidence and attitude typify the arrogance of youth, a maturity in their production exists now. It seems to communicate a sudden loss of understanding, and the realisation that everything in this life is not what it seems.
That’s perhaps symbolic of the intense approach to investing everything into your music for a number of years, eventually bringing an elevated sense of serenity into focus here. You can't escape the sense that ‘Murmurations’ is an album for realists, though, as it contains moods of isolation, fear and intimidation.
Defender is a moving hymn and perhaps the duo’s most accomplished work. Playing out like a conversation with the self, and building to a crescendo of hope, the choir chants: "I will protect you [...] only take notice when I’m in front of you.”
Sadly, Shaw recently received a diagnosis of AL amyloidosis, a rare, serious condition caused by a build-up of an abnormal proteins in organs and tissues throughout the body, causing the bulk of their tour plans to be shelved. ‘Murmurations’ takes on some added weight as a result, even if it already stands as a truly moving piece of art.
It is designed to take hold of the listener, to inspire a spark of humility and awe. It’s an exquisite homage to the beauty of life, the passage of time and wonderment at what may come. Simian Mobile Disco aren’t making music for escapism anymore.
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