The Acid are a band that are subscribed to the rather popular belief, or rather rule, that 'less is more'. This is in both their music, and promotion of their music. Hearing very little from the band publically can work well, or well, not so well. Luckily, this band has all the right parts to succeed. Los Angeles singer-songwriter Ry X usually creates laid back songs with little electronic edge to them; but with Steve Nalepa and British grammy nominated Adam Freeland, they produce a very different sound. Whilst you may not have heard of these names before, you'll be hearing a lot from The Acid in the coming months.
Their anonymous appearance definitely mimics Alt-J, joining a group of invisible bands that neither care for this title or actively try to change it. The media present it; they ignore it.
'Basic Instinct' served as the appetizing starter for the band, with over a million plays on SoundCloud providing a good base for support to release this album. The haunting lyric of "coming up for air" is delicate and piercing at the same time, with distorted vocals and guitar later on releasing an edge not known to Ry X on his own.
Other tracks on the album lean heavily on the 'less is more' approach that bands like 'xx' have reigned in. The opener 'Animals' follows this principle to the letter, and is beautifully executed. Light and airy, with hints of an explosion of noise that never quite comes. A weak opener, maybe a better closer.
Elsewhere, you can find urban electronica on the definitely-not-a-Bowie-cover 'Fame', and the whisper quiet, guitar laden 'Veda'. If you're looking for music to keep you awake, you are in the wrong place. If you're looking for music to night drive to, high on acid or something less strong, this is the album.
Whilst the album has it's highs (literally), it can be a bit too minimal. Very similar to the second 'xx' LP, which was expected to heavily feature Jamie xx's work that had excelled in between albums. The fruits of their labour are evident, but perhaps not all they have to offer is quite there yet.
Who cares if they're invisible, if they make great music like this?
7/10
H x
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