Review Summary: A hazy setting at the edge of a dream, you have the choice to walk out or fall in
The room is covered in grey static, the music is lovely but not inherently human. I am awake enough to know it is a dream, but not enough to understand or recall the details.
Breaking point is the ideal opener to White SeeD's second release. Not only does it introduce the new direction of the artist, but it takes me back to those impossible dreams. The dreams that exist beyond a normal comprehension, the ones that are more like a blurred sensation that a concrete image.
After passing the opening track a listen of
forgetting what is real can go many directions. The most common is I turn off the album knowing that the time/setting isn't right. Yet. when I allow the music to continue without interruption it is difficult not to be swept up in its hazy atmosphere. Besides the opening track picking highlights is a difficult task. The track blur together into a single experience, and this is for the better. The album is best enjoyed allowing the tracks float across the mind and letting imagination take over.
The first eight tracks feel like a continuos dream until the vocals on
manic moment of happiness serves as a wake up call. At this point the mood of the album changes from a neutral and detached dream to a much more somber and 'realistic' setting. At this point the music has much more recognizable instrumentation, particularly a melancholy guitar added to the mix.
White SeeD was able to improve mostly everything between releases. First of all the songwriting and mood is much more complete allowing for every track to feel important during the album's runtime. The choice to move away from the fully lo-fi, tape fuzz recording style was a wise one. Instead of the music sounding distant, as on the debut, Forgetting What is Real has a very immense yet personal sounding production that helps the mood considerably
Like the strange dreams, describing or even understanding why
forgetting what is real is such a compelling listen is challenging. Yes, the production and song writing have improved considerably, yet there is something else that keeps me coming back. The noises found on this album are both comforting and alien. They bring me to place that is that distant but I feel right at home. I can recommend this album to anybody looking for music that calm and beautiful but can still leave an impact.
