Album Review: Flume – ‘Palaces’
Latest Flume album ‘Palaces’ builds an expansive sonic kingdom fit for a king.
An abstract and consistent artist within the electronic music space, Flume (Harley Streten) has never failed to deliver the unexpected. His conscious experimentation has littered his discography with a unique sound that is instantly recognisable amongst listeners. He is set to release ‘Palaces’ Friday 20th May 2022, which is his first full length LP since 2019. Streten cited rural life being the driving force behind the development of the album as it draws on influences from his move back to rural Australia, after he was prompted to depart Los Angeles during the pandemic.
The album weaves together an amalgamation of edgy pop vocals, bold synthesisers, and impressive features. Whilst the track list is a little bloated and repetitive in places, there are some moments of true genius that will surely stand out amongst the rest of his discography.
Opening with the lyrically sparse ‘Highest Building’, it combines elements of hyper pop with glitchy synths that ultimately lack a little punch. This is followed quickly by ‘Say Nothing’ which breathes a little life into the project thanks to vocals from MAY-A, lifting the dark, understated production above the clouds in this dreamy track. Immediate stylistic whiplash presents intrigue for what is yet to come.
The middle of the album is perhaps the strongest portion, as Streten begins to push his own limits by incorporating expansive abstract elements. ‘Get U’ manages to capture vibrating basslines and whistling high frequencies that mimic proximity to a speaker, eventually blossoming into a light, yet grandiose layering of sounds that are euphoric. ‘Jasper’s Song’ is the delicate follow up that sounds like the track is skipping or the record has been warped, adding a physicality to the experience. One of the songs most prominently infused with nature – production accentuating a buzz as if insects surround you. It’s skipping piano rolling across the runtime like pastures green in the distance. ‘Only Fans’ uses erratic layering that combines harsh, sharp noises with disjointed lyricism, prompting overstimulation and oozing experimentation. ‘Go’ is a highlight of the latter half of the track list, reminiscent of previous Flume releases with a simple and fluid style that helps begin the descent into what is the strong finale for the album.
Final track ‘Palaces’ features Damon Albarn, those with a keen eye will eagerly await his addition as you run through a first listen. It begins with an almost ominous build-up of repeating sound, centred around a breath like distortion. It slowly builds alongside Albarn’s cryptic lyricism into a rush of sounds that end the record on a crescendo, capturing a sense of release.
On the whole the record delivers on what we’ve come to expect from Flume, but as someone who tends to stand at the forefront of the genre it feels a little safe – albeit enjoyable. Potentially its biggest downfall is layout, the track listing is disjointed appearing random in places which leaves it a little directionless – especially in the first half. This is only worsened by the lack of variety from elements outside production. Hip hop is usually a major component of his work, giving certain tracks a rawness that compliments his edgy production choices. This is absent from ‘Palaces’, in its place instead is an abundance of pop vocals and ballads that unfortunately outstay their welcome at times.
However, the highs of the album are already echoing around the venues of gigs to come, where the grand scope of Flume’s mixing mastery can be displayed. ‘Palaces’ is a great introductory point for a new listener as it delivers on exploring the full range of Streten’s abilities. Sonic consistency is not what the album lacks, more conceptual refinement. But in terms of an album that pushes productional boundaries – Flume wholeheartedly delivers.
Words by Jessica McCarrick
