What better way to kickstart a new blog than to give away free music? Well, not like we are giving it out anyway.

greatFox, AKA Todd Guilmette, is an internet-based artist who’s been producing albums for quite a while now, ever since the mid-nineties. In recent years Guilmette’s been a bit quiet though, with the last album (2004’s Persona) released a fair four years ago. Granted, he did re-release two of his older albums (the splendid Mate and Tired World) as brand new remastered/slightly re-recorded versions during those four years. Earlier this year however the long silence finally ended with the announcement of a new album titled //Divine/Null and a week or so ago it was finally released.

Get the 8-song and 50-minute album here, and if you want to read my opinions then join us after the cut.

Well, to put it bluntly, it’s a bit monotone.

Now this is not necessarily a bad thing, nor is it something new – the greatFox albums have always been full of tracks that sounded quite similar to eachother, at least until the slight experimenting twist Guilmette took during the 00’s. //Divine/Null goes back to having a similar soundworld throughout the album, possibly because the album itself is supposed to be a one big piece in itself – the lyrics are based on a short story by Guilmette, so it’s very much a concept album.

The music itself is heavily based on a steady beat. The drums and bass are almost constantly driving the music forwards while other instrument and samples show up only here and there as slight ‘refreshments’ (if you may). Add Guilmette’s deep speak-sing voice marching over the instruments, and you’ve got a very pressured, menacing atmosphere.

This atmosphere fits in with the album’s concept. What I can make of it (which isn’t much), there seems to be quite a bit of identity confusion, 1984-esque superpower stuff, and something anti-religious in the album’s lyrics. I really can’t understand the story itself though despite reading the lyrics, but then again I’ve hardly ever understood concept album stories without actually reading what they’re supposed to be about. Dark stuff, anyway.

But the songs are long and it’s all a bit samey. Most songs end up feeling longer than they’re supposed to be and the few final tracks have failed to keep my interest on all my listening times so far. The great moments (the largest highlights being the opener At Arms Length and mid-album greatness Separated But I) are there, but they don’t help the slight exhaustion the rather monotoney soundworld gives.

I’m not sure if it’s “worth all the wait”, especially seeing as how fun the sex-crazed (no, really – just check what half the lyrics are on about) Persona has turned out to be, but it’s up for a free download just like the rest of the guy’s discography. Give it a try and see if you enjoy it.

Tags: free full album, greatFox

This entry was posted on Thursday, June 19th, 2008 at 5:48 am and is filed under News, Reviews. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can leave a response, or trackback from your own site.