CANAAN
I get the impression that Canaan need a hug. Their press states, "If you expect nothing from anybody, you'll never be disappointed" and "One small truth can ruin a thousand great lies. And if it kills me today, I am ready to die". Jeez! Such lofty psychobabble must mean that we're in for a sonic assault of fierce noise and depressive poetry. Having given 'Images From a Broken Self' a thorough listen, I don't know if Canaan really are that fragile and insular or whether it's all smoke.
Expectations can play havoc with reality, and here I'm at a loss to connect the nihilistic attitude with the industrial pop I'm listening to. More than anything, though, I'm finding it difficult to get excited about this album. Some of the music is quite lovely and would work well as an ambient/electro-rock instrumental; hell, I'd maybe even buy it. But occasional random noise and glitch is thrown into the mix for, I don't know, 'reasons' I guess. Vocally, things are very monotone (in a Roger Waters sort of way) which only adds to the general feeling of boredom. If anything, I get a very slight Ulver vibe from some of this. Except, the orchestration isn't quite as accomplished, and Mauro Berchi is no Kristoffer Rygg.
Still, you must hand it to Canaan. They're clearly not in this to be popular or fashionable. Their industrialised music is stuck firmly in the past, just as much as Gary Numan's recent album was. Some will no doubt welcome such nostalgia, and I myself enjoy music rooted in other eras. I'm just not so sure that nineties industrial is one of them. I certainly can't say for certain that this is a bad album. It's not that obvious. I do know that I came away from listening to this with a deep sense of 'meh'. If there is a message, it's lost on me due to the fact I couldn't get invested in it. Canaan, then, could very well be spilling their emotions out to us. The only emotion I can give in return is one of indifference.
Expectations can play havoc with reality, and here I'm at a loss to connect the nihilistic attitude with the industrial pop I'm listening to. More than anything, though, I'm finding it difficult to get excited about this album. Some of the music is quite lovely and would work well as an ambient/electro-rock instrumental; hell, I'd maybe even buy it. But occasional random noise and glitch is thrown into the mix for, I don't know, 'reasons' I guess. Vocally, things are very monotone (in a Roger Waters sort of way) which only adds to the general feeling of boredom. If anything, I get a very slight Ulver vibe from some of this. Except, the orchestration isn't quite as accomplished, and Mauro Berchi is no Kristoffer Rygg.
Still, you must hand it to Canaan. They're clearly not in this to be popular or fashionable. Their industrialised music is stuck firmly in the past, just as much as Gary Numan's recent album was. Some will no doubt welcome such nostalgia, and I myself enjoy music rooted in other eras. I'm just not so sure that nineties industrial is one of them. I certainly can't say for certain that this is a bad album. It's not that obvious. I do know that I came away from listening to this with a deep sense of 'meh'. If there is a message, it's lost on me due to the fact I couldn't get invested in it. Canaan, then, could very well be spilling their emotions out to us. The only emotion I can give in return is one of indifference.
LABEL:
FORMAT:
Eibon Records
Album
IMAGES FROM A BROKEN SELF
Review by Steve Cowan
RUNNING TIME:
51:46
RELEASE DATE:
22nd June 2018
TRACK LISTING
1) My Deserted Place
2) The Story of a Simple Man
3) Words on Glass
4) Hint on the Cruelty of Time
5) I Stand and Stare
6) Of Sickness and Rejection
7) The Dust of Time
8) Adversaries
9) That Day; 10) A Tired Sentry
11) Worms
12) Through Forging Lines
2) The Story of a Simple Man
3) Words on Glass
4) Hint on the Cruelty of Time
5) I Stand and Stare
6) Of Sickness and Rejection
7) The Dust of Time
8) Adversaries
9) That Day; 10) A Tired Sentry
11) Worms
12) Through Forging Lines
COUNTRY OF ORIGIN:
Italy
"Their industrialised music is stuck firmly in the past..."
