A Winged Victory for the Sullen is one of my favorite bands ever, primarily because of their epic 2014 album Atomos, which helped to wake me up to the glory of ambient music. I didn't like this album as much as Atomos. Is that fair? I don't know. How can I compare an album that I've listened to five or ten times with an album that I have listened to a hundred times?
The first track of The Undivided Five met my expectations. "Our Lord Debussy" is regal, patient, and intense. Long droning undercurrents hover in the background. "Sullen Sonata" is also good, with gentle builds and satisfying exhalations. In fact, I think that I like most of the tracks, with the exception of "Aqualung, Motherfucker," which bores me. How can a track with such an intense name have so little energy?
I think that what I loved about Atomos was that it mixed ambient soundscapes and epic grandeur with a sense of danger. "Atomos X" is a great example of this... the soundscapes that the artist has been building for the last hour tremble and crumble around us. If you listen to all of Atomos, arrive at "Atomos X," and don't feel some emotion, then I don't understand how you listen to music. The fact that Atomos was a movie soundtrack may have given it some energy. Perhaps that is what I am missing here.
"The Undivided Five" is luscious, beautiful, but also undangerous. I like it and can recommend it but don't love it.
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