Baths - Obsidian

Baths - Miasma Sky

I reckon this is/has made it as one of the album's singles. Check below for a track by track album review.

Might not do a whole review here, time doesn’t really permit it with my work these days, so I’ll chalk up a review from youtube clips I’ve had a gander at!

Obsidian seems like a pretty decent glitch-pop album from what I’ve gathered. Vocals are pretty relaxed, some of the sounds resemble a remixed 8-bit noise. There’s piano work as well. It’s all a bit familiar though, kind of reminiscent of the Australian electro-indie scene that’s sprung up over the past couple of years. Some of the beats are pretty wicked as well. No Eyes has a hard synth drum roll. Lyrical use seems to be conciencious too, the words ‘fuck me’ used with emphasis for an impact effect.

Ambient parts are really well done. A lot of the construction done on the songs are intense. Worsening has a good climatic effect and jumps from soft to hard electronica.

Worsening – Good blend between art-pop and electro. Super chilled then thumping. Wicked piano work, really beautiful.
Miasma Sky – Think this is a single if ever I heard one. I mean the lyrics are pretty downbeat and that’s cool and all, but the song as a whole is pretty poppy and reminds me of a couple of the other electro-pop acts which I’ve HATED over previous years.
Ironworks – not sure. Perhaps unconvinced. The piano and violin work is pretty nice, but the vocals aren’t doing much for me, and the deep groove the drums are throwing down isn’t quite doing it either. Although the bridge is pretty good.
Ossuary – High bass and catchy drum lines gives it a post-punk sound, kinda. I really like the bass line and this might be my favourite track so far. It’s both funky AND electro!
Incompatible – I mean I like the glitch sounds and stuff, but I think these slow tracks are kind of the opposite of what I like about the album.  Honestly this track does nothing for me. Love the rest of the album.
No Eyes – I dig the big electronic drum smash, almost metronomic. Lyrically it’s solid, and he beats out the words ‘fuck me’ with various inflections throughout the track to hit the listener. Plus there’s a build-up throughout the whole thang! By this stage of the album, you can tell this guy knows how to make a song.
Phaedra – Cool fuzz drums with a rapid beat. Plus building pianos. And experimental chimes! Vocals aren’t too abrasive… lyrically is kind of ow. ‘Phaedra it is you that made me want to kill myself’? Phwooar. I mean it’s like a mash-up of an emo piano track mashed up with drum and bass and it WORKS.
No past lives – don’t know what to think at first. There’s a deep synth groove but he breaks it up with a really weird piano line. Also breaks it up with glitch parts which are actually pretty cool… he leaves the weird piano and lets you get on with the track though and it’s pretty smooth if not a bit dark.
Earth Death – Heavy drums and bass. I really liked this one on the first run through. Kind of sliiightly reminds me of older stuff by ‘the knife’ (I say that loosely, I never properly sat and LISTENED to them if you get me.). maybe a little less ambitious than the rest of the album, but a cool song nonetheless.
Inter – light guitar with the weird, orchestral warbling he uses throughout parts of the album. Bit of a flat track, but it kind of works as a fade out, and lets face it, the album gets pretty intense by the end of it. You kind of need a break and this track is it.

Yeah, shit. I’m actually willing to give this a full five stars. It’s really well constructed and sets moods. I can’t say I’m a fan of the vocals all the way through, but the quality of the music is just mind-blowingly good.

I wrote this review a couple of months back and now looking back on it, while I believe it was a good album, Obsidian didn't have any staying power. There's no aesthetic that draws me back to it. A one night stand album I guess.