Plaid
's 11th album is one of the long-running duo's most conceptually driven releases. The premise is that the act performed a set at the Feorm Festival on a distant planet called Falorx, and they were converted into light in order to survive the planet's atmosphere. They returned to Earth and re-created their set, and
Feorm Falorx
is the result. The album's release was accompanied by a graphic novel that was developed using AI technology, as was the video for first single "Perspex," which visually interprets the idea of light beings. The music is as delicate and playful as one would expect from
, filled with intricate rhythms and sparkling arpeggios. On occasion, the duo make an abrupt left turn and head in a different direction. "Wondergan"'s fake tropical melodies aren't that off the mark for
, but its stiff, aerobicized drums and brassy synth leads sound more like an AI approximation of the pair's music than the real thing, squarely fitting into the album's concept. "Nightcrawler" (featuring longtime collaborator
Mason Bee
) is an entirely unexpected venture into post-punk, with chiming guitars and shivering synths over a speedy rhythm, and fragmented vocals expressing feelings that seem just on the verge of realization. While cuts like "Modenet" have peppy, easy-to-follow beats, others such as "C.A." and "Tomason" dazzle with oblong time signatures and rippling melodies, showcasing
at their most inventive and enchanting. Final track "Wide I's" is the record's darkest and most aggressive moment, yet its suspenseful, rising arpeggio never ignites an explosion. While it sometimes feels like the duo could have done more with the album's concept, it's still a unique experience, and could very well signal a shift in how the visionaries approach their craft. ~ Paul Simpson