Boards of Canada “The Campfire Headphase”
Warp Music
It’s been three and a half years since the eclectic Boards
of Canada released “Geogaddi,” an album wildly praised
for its morose, psychedelic electronica. For the Scottish
duo’s passionate fan base, the wait has been long, but not
without reward. The group’s third and newest effort,
“The Campfire Headphase,” may prove to be their
greatest triumph yet.
Glistening with layer upon layer of atmosphere and melody that
stays true to BoC’s unique sound, the album also features
some welcome innovations. Brothers Mike and Marcus Sandison
incorporate both acoustic and electric instruments into their music
for the first time, abandoning the almost strictly electric library
of sounds used on previous works. “Chromakey
Dreamcoat,” for example, showcases a trembling and
effects-laden acoustic guitar as its centerpiece, while tight
percussion and emotive distortion swim back and forth in the mix.
The album is also more upbeat and structurally organized, partially
in reaction to the dark and unrestrained musical direction of
“Geogaddi.”
Moments of sublime artistry abound on the album. The gradual,
mesmerizing buildup in “Dayvan Cowboy” eventually gives
way to a thrilling landscape of melodies over an intricate drum
beat, a musical height that makes you wish you lived a life worthy
of such a soundtrack. “Slow This Bird Down” plods
slowly but magnificently through echoing synths that would be
perfectly suited for the halls of an ancient temple. The only track
to include vocals this time around is “Peacock Tail,” a
sugarcoated song with a woman’s reverberated crooning taking
a back seat to playful hand-claps and shimmering keyboards.
Though Boards of Canada’s sound is in a league of its own
and breathtaking on so many levels, “The Campfire
Headphase” fails to achieve musical perfection. True to form,
the album includes refrains of simple ambience, but contrary to the
unique segments on previous albums, they are dull and uninspiring,
many hearkening back to a single and repetitive line of syrupy
processing. It also lacks the truly danceable tracks for which BoC
has become known. “Oscar See Through Red Eye,” is the
only song fast and percussive enough to stand up to the rhythmic
giants central to “Geogaddi” and the group’s 1998
debut album, “Music Has The Right To Children.” While
this may not necessarily be a flaw, fan expectations for new
contagious dance beats will not be entirely satiated.
Preconceptions aside, “The Campfire Headphase” is
undeniably gorgeous in its best moments. It is simultaneously
simple and complex, dissonant and melodic, adventurous and mature.
In a criminally underrated genre of music, Boards of Canada has
once again released an album of unparalleled electronic beauty,
capable of holding its own among its revered predecessors.
““ Dominick Duhamel