ALBUM REVIEW: you, infinite – you, infinite
Soundscape duo, YOU, INFINITE, have put out their self-titled debut record. This project sees Jeremy Galindo and Raymond Brown, both of post-rock outfit THIS WILL DESTROY YOU, reunited after a period where they exchanged ideas for sounds and compositions that resulted in the new partnership. For the two of them, Brown and Galindo see YOU, INFINITE as something both nostalgic of their collective 15 years of experience in music whilst also looking forward to why lies ahead. And it’s something you can feel from start to finish on this record, even without knowing how the duo views the record, you feel as if you’re following on someone’s personal journey.
This is perfectly shown on opening track, Focus On Reflection, which opens with soft ethereal noises that are joined by a variety of instruments, including violins, synth and guitar, that moves the track into a gentle alternative sound. And this song feels very much like part of a soundtrack for an indie coming of age film where we watch a character going about their day where things at the start had been going wrong or they faced personal struggles, yet slowly things start getting better and everything starts to fall into place. It’s uplifting and leaves you with a sense of hope.
The beauty of music within the post-rock genre is that there is little to no rules in what can and will be experimented with in terms of sounds, instruments and overall atmosphere, which helps to amplify the listening experience further. It would be a fair statement to make in that each song reflects on a different individual and their personal growth, yet it’s growth in a way that feels realistic. Like, you feel glimmers of happiness and achievement in doing something relatively small, like managing to get through the day or finally getting around to doing that task you keep putting off. The point being it feels realistic yet you still feel a sense of pride.
And outside of this, there are moments where tracks move outside of this genre of storytelling. For example, Cutter, that opens with otherworldly noises, has a melody that sounds like a choir of people harmonising joined by gentle piano. In a short summary, it’s beautiful. In a longer statement, you can’t help but visualise a montage of scenes and events related to nature. There’s also Shine Eternal, that feels more suited to the soundtrack for an epic adventure film due to clicky beats and dramatic instrumentals.
Along with each track telling a story of some sort, there are also plenty of instrumental moments that will leave you in a state of awe. From The Elder bring in psychedelia elements that compliments the louder alternative rock instruments, making this the loudest song on the record; to Understated and Dormant that, in contrast, are the most melancholic sounding tracks on the record with moody guitar, drums and piano that then surges into some more soft and uplifting; to finally Throughlines that creates a melodic alternative pop-rock sound through the combination of guitar and keyboard synths. A beautiful record filled with many soundscapes and individual stories to tell. YOU, INFINITE have created something stunning here.
Rating: 8/10
you, infinite is out now via Pelagic Records.
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