Bruce Soord – Luminescence
Release Date: 22nd September 2023
Label: KScope Music
Bandcamp
Genre: Folk, Rock, Alternative, Chillwave.
FFO: Radiohead, Pineapple Thief, Thom Yorke, Gregory Alan Isakov.
Review By: Andy Spoon
The immediate vibes that I get are similar to my experience with artists like Gregory Alan Isakov, Thom Yorke, or even some of the more ethereal stuff from Regina Spektor. While they aren’t necessarily in the same type of subgenres, we’re talking about the folksy-esque material that is meant to create a moody, melancholy atmosphere that gives the “umami” flavor to the listener, meaning it can go upwards or downwards, depending on the mood, or with whatever the “dish” is dressed with.
There is a gentle 808 beat programmed into the background of the tracks that tends to work a slight “groove” into the tracks. The Thom Yorke influence is obviously coming out on that segment of the music. Vocally, there are a myriad of effects and reverbs/delays to alter the overall point of view from which the lyrics emerge. I think that it’s well-done, in a very “Radiohead” type of way. Pads and little dots and dashes of instruments resonate across almost every track. There is an element of groovy, trancey, even stoner-y chillwave to the sound that can be absolutely translated a hundred different ways.
Much like the taste of the mushroom and tofu, the “umami” flavor is one which is accented by the other things with which it’s associated. In this case, there are tracks which are powerful, depressing, and even painful to experience. However, much like Damien Rice or Death Cab for Cutie, there can be an uplifting effect if the listener is open to it. A great example of this is on the track Olomouc, which reminds me of the Death Cab track I will Possess Your Heart, which is both a pining love song or a heartbroken ballad of loneliness, depending on the mood of the listener.
Bob Dylan always wanted his music to have that effect on listeners, never really wanting to tell anyone what the meanings of his lyrics were. There are tracks that seem to be deeply-personal and respective of one person’s point of view, e.g. Bruce Soord; yet at the same time, transcend the folksy meaning of the plain lyrics, jumping out at the listener. That’s the fun of folk music, at least for avid fans. The songs tend to change their meanings as years go by.
That all being said, having turned this album over to MetalEpidemic for review, I wanted to see if there was material on the album which would touch the delicate sensibilities of the fans who usually read from our selections. To be honest, I’m not seeing the connection, as I think that the potential melancholy and heaviness is definitely “metal” in the same way that Lingua Ignota is, but it’s not close in the sense that Lingua Ignota’s delivery and material came with a desperate aggression that transcended the lack of distorted guitars and tunnel-throat screams.
Bruce Soord is definitely reaching the Pineapple Thief fans more than anyone else with Luminescence, but I just don’t think that heavy metal fans are going to appreciate this album for what it is. It’s definitely something that will reach people on that “Umami” level, depending on their mood. I just can’t seem to think of a rotation of albums that I’d put on in my heavy-metal record store which would include this album. Frankly, though, that’s perfectly ok. We wanted to make sure that we gave it a college try. The work doesn’t stand out enough for me to integrate my appreciation for the album with my love and obsession of metal music.
(2.5 / 5)
