d_rradio – Parts
On previous album Leaves, d rradio took serene ambient loops and stretched them out interminably, to the point where they would sound nice for a while, but soon lose meaning and became aural wallpaper. I don’t welcome this trend, displayed on acclaimed albums such as Leyland Kirby’s massive Sadly The Future Is No Longer What It Was. Why take a good thing and then run with it until it loses all steam and becomes a crushing bore?
On Parts, d rradio go the other way. It has a similar vibe to Leaves, but the songs are about one tenth as long. Neoclassical string samples, wreathed in vinyl crackle, hove into view, waft beautifully for a bit, and then fade out. Another one comes along, similarly pretty, then another and another. Nice enough, sure, but there’s no sense of development. Sometimes a tremolo guitar will appear, just for a bit of variety, but Parts really only amounts to a series of lovely vignettes rather than an album. With repeated listens, certain tracks stand out, but just as you’re starting to get into them, they end. Bah!
Maybe next time d rradio will split the difference between Leaves and Parts and wow us with an ambient masterpiece. Until then, if you like your ambient in bite-sized pieces, Parts is a nice-enough diversion.