Review: And Then So Clear | Solitude LP
Piano that evokes Satie’s Gnossienne, a touch of Zimmer fused with Brad Fiedel, and a track that could easily have been lifted from Age of Empires II. Ambient musician And Then So Clear has crafted a loving homage to “isolation and the need to drift away and dream” and Solitude certainly brings the dream to you, the listener. The third full length album, and eighth Bandcamp release, from this Swedish musician and producer has been two years in the making and was released on the 9th of June 2022. Let’s dissect this blissful offering!
And Then So Clear banner from Bandcamp
While this album can be largely described as ambient, there are other elements carefully woven into the sonic fabric, effortlessly breaking all the cliches of the genre. The most traditional ambient track is the titular Solitude, layering atmospheric strings underneath dualling melodies of piano and what sounds like an oboe. This calm and self-reflective mood is immediately turned on its head with the next track, Forgotten Visions bringing in Terminator-like synths and a decidedly rock feel by means of the drums. In fact, the chorus is almost post rock in delivery, especially when the guitars make an entrance, and this piece could easily be turned into a full orchestral soundtrack.
Refusing to create the same song twice, but seamlessly moving to the next track sees Entropian Dreams Through the Universe bridge the gap between ambient and sci-fi soundtrack music. With two distinct movements, this track glides from wonder to tension before the album drops you into the middle of a slow train ride. Music To Fall Asleep On A Train To is deftly punctuated by an off-kilter carousel tune and is one of the more interesting compositions through the use of crowd noise and the clack of the train tracks in the soundscape.
Getting Through Taking Turns, a back catalogue song via Soundcloud
As a wakeup call at the end of the train journey, Echoes of Isolation comes in with a tentative piano before engaging an electronic drumkit and a driving bassline. The piano drives the track to each section nicely. This track would have been better placed earlier in the album as it breaks the flow, however it is one of the more fun songs to listen to. Had Sleeping Under Ancient Stars come after Train, one could have easily found themselves in a completely relaxed state, possibly on the verge of sleep. This is a gorgeous and lush arrangement that makes use of instruments that wouldn’t be out of place in Classical Antiquity (or Age of Empires II: The Conquerors), a composition technique that follows into Glacial Floating. Glacial Floating has two parts, an urgent introduction, and the eventual payoff of inspired awe. It’s almost as if following a protagonist’s journey, with the heartbeat-like percussion the central driving force.
Phases (Six Different Ones) rounds out the album with a glorious sonic ride through six separate ideas that seamlessly roll into each other. The section at 4:23 provides the standout moment of the entire album, as glitching guitar and chopped up noise synth take the track to a new level. It’s a trajectory that could easily be fully fleshed out into a whole new album.
An eclectic album that ebbs and flows, sort of how life does
Final thoughts.
A lovely, well considered album that would be a great addition to your ambient soundtrack collection. The only minor criticism is the track order, as Echoes of Isolation could possibly be shifted to track two or three to allow better flow. Get the album (and back catalogue) on Bandcamp or listen on Spotify.
Written by Sarah E Howson
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