Review Summary: Stumbleine makes a few changes to the sound we've come to expect, and they are effective enough to make for his best release yet.
When an artist releases as much music as UK based Stumbleine has in the past few years, it’s easy for the music to start to lose its effectiveness and wow factor. This becomes especially true in Stumbeline's case, as the project has been dishing forth music that is almost too consistent for its own good with little variation in the several EP’s and LP the producer has released. That being said, there has always been an incredible nature to his sound, which embodies a completely original mix of gorgeous ambient pads, post-rock tinged guitar swells, intricately layered electronic beats and chopped vocal samples. Without a doubt, Stumbleine has released some of the most emotionally driven and captivating electronic music in the last few years, with his strongest points being the songs that feature a vocalist such as Fade
Into You and The Beat My Heart Skips from 2012’s Spiderwebbed.
Stumbleine (who is also one of the trio of producers in Swarms) has certainly reached the point in his career where changes need to be made to the overall sound, not only to keep his fans intrigued but also to show some sort of variation in the music. Luckily for us, that is exactly what we get with Infinite Overcast. The elements that have become a staple of Stumbleine’s music are all still intact and present, but Infinite Overcast features subtle changes that make for his best release yet. Upon first listen, the beats present on this LP are much more uplifting and upbeat than anything we’ve heard in the past. The only songs that don’t feel unexpected are Thawn and The Great Flood, which sound as though they could have been on any of Stumbleine’s past releases and are also the low points of the album.
Adora Skyline, Skekis and Exit sandman all embody a new sound and direction that are much more cheerful than the often somber and sometimes depressing nature of Stumbleine’s past work. These tracks are a great addition to his discography and show that the very talented producer has more than one trick up his sleeve. Infinite Overcast also shows a musician who is perfecting the tricks of his trade. The gorgeous phased-out guitar lines that are so prevalent in his music sound better than ever and the guitars are definitely at the forefront of this record. The intro guitar tones in Skekis are mind-blowing and create a washed-out atmosphere where chillwave, shoegaze and electronic beats meld together to create a dream-like state for the listener.
The vocal samples which are also a staple of Stumbeline’s music really shine on this release, and while the vocal samples on past releases sometimes felt like they were unnecessarily present to fill up space, the vocal clips here fit tightly into the mix and sound like a cohesive addition to each track. This is best showcased on the track Abacus, which contains several sublime vocal samples meticulously stitched together to create a precise and catchy vocal hook. The first verse section of Abascus dives the listener into a psychedelic and beautiful environment held together with a very laid back beat. The chorus opens up into a jaw dropping ambient section with a vocal line that could only be described as epic. The track features Stumbleine’s best use of vocal samples yet and really shows how the producer is coming into his own.
Stumbleine’s highlight tracks have always been the ones that feature a vocalist and we are treated to Stumbeline’s best collaboration and probably his best track yet, Camber featuring Steffaloo. Stefaloo’s harmonies are nostalgic and tragically beautiful as lyrics of love and loss mesh wonderfully with the backing post-rock guitar lines, thick atmospheres and dreamy beat. Camber just might be one of the best tracks of 2015 and helps make Infinite Overcast worthy of several listens.
3.9/5
Best Tracks:
Camber Feat. Stefaloo
Abacus
Skekis
