Machines That Listen by The Delta Mirror
LABEL: Lefse Records

I was driving to the hospital to see a friend the first time I heard Machines That Listen, the debut album from The Delta Mirrors. I knew nothing about the album, and only a little more about what awaited me upon arrival—from a hastily left message, I gathered things had went well, but a few hours of silence and my own paranoia had fully risen to the forefront.

As song after song laid out all of the hopes, fears, and trepidation running through my mind, I realized—with chills running down my neck—and more then a few unbelieving glances at the stereo, that (coincidentally) this was a concept album about hospitals. Specifically, each of the albums nine songs is about a different room in a hospital, and the goings on within.

“This is alternately ugly and beautiful music, not really danceable, mixed just muddily enough to be on that uncomfortable border between coherence and introspection.”

We all encounter this occasionally, when listening to music. A song, or artist, syncs up with life to an absurd degree, and becomes forever linked to a person, a moment, a situation. This was such a happening that Machines That Listen never left
my mind as I wandered the corridors and peeked into other rooms of the hospital. Thankfully, though, the reason for my visit developed positively over the next few days.

It's a strange album, driven mostly by extremely mechanical beats and instrumentation. This is not to say that it isn't often surprising, but even lead singer Craig Gordon's goth-ish baritone is stretched and spliced to fit into the rhythm. Many of the songs build and build on themselves, adding more and more layers until they become overwhelming, while looped lyrics take on new meanings as more of the story unfolds.

Their press releases compares them to both The Big Pink and Fuck Buttons—and while all three bands share a similar affinity for mixing noise with electronics in surprising ways, The Delta Mirror have neither the former's pop leanings, nor the latter's cinematic overtones. This is alternately ugly and beautiful music, not really danceable, and mixed just muddily enough to be on that uncomfortable border between coherence and introspection.

Machines That Listen is tricky. I'm still not really sure how I feel about it, even weeks later. It's certainly a creative and uncompromising first release, and to their credit, The Delta Mirror have managed to take a tricky subject and create an album not about death and depression, but grudging acceptance and hard-won relinquishment. For that, I'll always be grateful.


REVIEWED BY MAT LINDENBERG
MAT’S FAVE TRACKS: “Merciless and Great” • “Troublesome Houses” • “The Sounds Are...”
Read more from Mat on his blog, Everything is Unnecessary


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Dirty Laundry Presents: The Delta Mirror from Dirty Laundry on Vimeo.