Alternative-music artist Mark Buckeridge delivers a joyously ragged record with his new E.P Talking Is Good For You.
From the ominous harmonically swirling opening notes of ‘I Can’t Talk To You’, coupled with the lo-fi rattle of percussion that pushes the track rhythmically, the collage of avant-garde and post-modernist aspects that form Mark Buckeridge’s ambitious E.P is established. From this introduction the tone of Talking Is Good For You is set as Buckeridge takes almost sermonizes over the colliding atmosphere of the recording’s backdrop.
Moving from the manic persistent rhythmic nature of tracks such as ‘Swimming at the Sea’ to the screeching textures of ‘O That Noise’ the sheer abandon in Mark Buckeridge’s approach must be respected for the courage of its conviction. Imbued with a tense mood and constantly evolving sound Talking Is Good For You flickers from one sonic tone to another in the blink of an eye, moving from up-close aggressive elements to echoing ambience that hiss with ambiguous intent.
As the ragged, jangling noise of ‘To Fall Asleep’ begins to fade into the found sound textures that underscore it, the more disparate sounds and stylistic leanings that create Mark Buckeridge’s music start to meld into a cohesive whole adding another more structured layer to Talking Is Good For You.
Talking Is Good For You is a challenging E.P that never concerns itself with compromise in its sound or overall aesthetic. A bold take on the process, Mark Buckeridge’s record teeters on the brink of clichéd experimentalism at times but always seems to side-step it a the very last moment with a sudden change in direction. Creativity is designed to evoke a reaction, and Talking Is Good For You does just that.
Rating: 7/10
Talking Is Good For You by Mark Buckeridge is out now.