CASUALTIES OF COOL
Casualties of Cool is both the project and album title of Devin Townsend's latest musical venture in what has been, over the course of the past two decades, an impressively diverse and prolific career. And making the bold move of utilising one of the numerous online crowd-funding platforms, PledgeMusic, to finance this latest chapter in his heterogeneous musical journey, it was an indubitable given that the monetary target would be met by the prescribed deadline. As widely adored across the globe as Devin is, reaching the full 100% of the goal he set was surely never in doubt. What surprised everyone, though, including the ever humble man himself, was the extent to which that target was emphatically smashed to smithereens - 7000+ backers which equated to a whopping 546% of the requested monies. A phenomenal achievement and heartwarming display of global unity for all those who have absolute faith in a man who's incessantly made some of the most innovative, genuinely progressive, entertaining and exciting music to emerge during the last twenty years. I mean, it's as if Devin has nothing but awesome music running through his veins. Such is his creative fertility, if you were able to connect him to a streaming device via bio-port a la Cronenberg's 'Existenz', there'd undoubtedly be an instant effluence of stupendously great new tunes.
So what of the debut offering from his latest project? Has he delivered yet another musically majestic masterpiece in his ever-growing canon of work? In short, yep, he most certainly has. Another encouraging and heartwarming outcome of reaching his goal more than five times over is that the thousands of people who backed this project get what Devin is all about, artistically speaking, and with an inherent trust in his ability to deliver what they want. They obviously have an appetite for diversity and difference as much as the man himself. Having said that, while 'Casualties of Cool' predominantly adheres to distinctly ambient country/blues flavours, it's all delivered with a tangible Townsend twang. It's his unmistakable sonic stamp, and ensures he transcends genre mimicry, despite the evident stylistic affiliations on the record. As such, it's umbilically bound to his musical core so 'Casualties of Cool', for me, sits as comfortably alongside the likes of 'City', 'The New Black', 'Physicist' and 'Deconstruction' in his discography, as much as it does 'Ki' and 'Ghost'.
Joining Devin in Casualties of Cool are vocalist Ché Aimee Dorval and drummer Morgan Ågren. And, despite its ostensible minimalism, the music is, on many occasions, rich with layered ambience, coloured as it is with contributions from a few other musicians such as 'Ghost's Kat Epple on flute/woodwinds, saxophonist Jørgen Munkeby, and the Sångkraft Chamber Choir. Overall, it provides a thoroughly chilled and mesmeric listen. The music's absorbing essence is lush with alluringly ambient charms. Devin and Ché's voices are euphonically harmonious throughout the album's playing time, and the dulcet tones of their delivery are the perfect vocal accompaniment for the aurally sublime canvas over which they sing. And with songs seguing into each other, the album has a beautifully crafted flow, which works a treat in the context of its conceptual foundation. All in all, yet another slice of sonic brilliance from a man whose boundless creativity shows not even a vague sign of faltering. And that's remarkable when considering the prolific nature of his recorded output.
So what of the debut offering from his latest project? Has he delivered yet another musically majestic masterpiece in his ever-growing canon of work? In short, yep, he most certainly has. Another encouraging and heartwarming outcome of reaching his goal more than five times over is that the thousands of people who backed this project get what Devin is all about, artistically speaking, and with an inherent trust in his ability to deliver what they want. They obviously have an appetite for diversity and difference as much as the man himself. Having said that, while 'Casualties of Cool' predominantly adheres to distinctly ambient country/blues flavours, it's all delivered with a tangible Townsend twang. It's his unmistakable sonic stamp, and ensures he transcends genre mimicry, despite the evident stylistic affiliations on the record. As such, it's umbilically bound to his musical core so 'Casualties of Cool', for me, sits as comfortably alongside the likes of 'City', 'The New Black', 'Physicist' and 'Deconstruction' in his discography, as much as it does 'Ki' and 'Ghost'.
Joining Devin in Casualties of Cool are vocalist Ché Aimee Dorval and drummer Morgan Ågren. And, despite its ostensible minimalism, the music is, on many occasions, rich with layered ambience, coloured as it is with contributions from a few other musicians such as 'Ghost's Kat Epple on flute/woodwinds, saxophonist Jørgen Munkeby, and the Sångkraft Chamber Choir. Overall, it provides a thoroughly chilled and mesmeric listen. The music's absorbing essence is lush with alluringly ambient charms. Devin and Ché's voices are euphonically harmonious throughout the album's playing time, and the dulcet tones of their delivery are the perfect vocal accompaniment for the aurally sublime canvas over which they sing. And with songs seguing into each other, the album has a beautifully crafted flow, which works a treat in the context of its conceptual foundation. All in all, yet another slice of sonic brilliance from a man whose boundless creativity shows not even a vague sign of faltering. And that's remarkable when considering the prolific nature of his recorded output.
LABEL:
FORMAT:
Self-released
Album
CASUALTIES OF COOL
Review by Mark Holmes
RUNNING TIME:
73:53
RELEASE DATE:
2nd June 2014
TRACK LISTING
1) Daddy; 2) Mountaintop
3) Flight; 4) The Code
5) Moon; 6) Pier
7) Ether; 8) Hejda
9) Forgive Me; 10) Broken
11) Bones; 12) Deathscope
13) The Field; 14) The Bridge
15) Pure
3) Flight; 4) The Code
5) Moon; 6) Pier
7) Ether; 8) Hejda
9) Forgive Me; 10) Broken
11) Bones; 12) Deathscope
13) The Field; 14) The Bridge
15) Pure
COUNTRY OF ORIGIN:
Canada
"...it's as if Devin has nothing but awesome music running through his veins. Such is his creative fertility, if you were able to connect him to a streaming device via bio-port à la Cronenberg's 'Existenz', there'd undoubtedly be an instant effluence of stupendously great new tunes."
