Dead Screen Scrolls (Ambient Works Vol.1) - Clarence Clarity: Review
Clarence Clarity
is a London based songwriter and electronic music producer who emerged in 2015 with an electric and critically acclaimed debut record. After following it up with a second successful sophomore record in 2018 he took a break to produce for some other artists most notably Rina Sawayama before returning with his first collection of ambient compositions.
Review By Lavender:
Clarence Clarity has been a name that for the last five years I have been following very closely. After his unique and explosive debut record I was hooked on his style, and after he perfectly applied his sound to a poppier style a few years later I was in awe of his versatility. Given how much I liked his work I was still excited for this project even though it was only an ambient project, and for good reason as his creativity certainly creeps into the medium.
The album consists of nine tracks that reach just over 30 minutes. While the record gets off to a great start and ends on a series of great songs there's some let downs in-between. Speaking of that good start it kicks off right away with Artist Ain't Present a super dreamy soundscape that sounds like an acid trip from a movie. It's wistful and airy but sonically pleasing nonetheless. Facts vs. Time is a louder and more pressing track that comes next which even features some washed out and pitched up vocal contributions. The song is ambient in the way that the wall of synths overload you senses and create a blissful palette but it also has dynamic and interesting sound play that I really enjoy. The next track Paint, Drying is a grand statement with hints of gospel in its epic chorus melodies paired with what sounds like a purposeful mimicking of organ sounds. The track is large and completely overwhelming but works its way to a heavenly conclusion.
The second series of tracks I like quite a bit is the closing set. Starting with 33rd December a song I've grown to like as it isn't afraid to rapidly interrupt its builds with crashing breakdowns that make for one ethereal ascending passage after another. In just three minutes the song makes a pretty grand impact on the record and I really enjoyed returning to it time and time again. Covid-19 is one of the more upbeat tracks here with a muted but omnipresent layer of percussion handing in the back of the track. The pacing is pretty even as a result and even as the song breaks into a looser more blissful passage in the second half the textures continue being pretty engaging. The closing track (Maybe) is a super dramatic climax by ambient standards and perfectly ends off the record. With soaring keys and a thick layer of distortion fuzz over the song and winding vocals backed by heavy reverb the song just sticks in your brain as it echoes into the distance. It's an epic and beautiful final moment that I was impressed by from the moment I first heard it.
The parts of this record that let me down came in the middle starting with Late Bloomer. The track is much more conventional ambient than the rest of the songs here if not a bit fasted paced. The light vocals are so washed out that they basically blend into the tracks sonic texture and serve just to fill out the really light and airy soundscape. I don't hate it and it is pleasant on the ears but it would be hard to pick out of a line-up. I'mma Doomer Baby has a really dense airy squelch to the synths that back the song and it is incredibly distracting as the track tries to settle into the songs lulled moments. It has an almost alien sounding pitched up vocal effect that also really takes me out of the song and the result is a track I'm more prone to skip. The final track I didn't love was The Home Of English Football a song that is somehow both very cloudy but also somewhat watery. The song has some deep rumbling and an almost cave like echo that is engaging but the exact same windy effect comes up over and over and is clearly all the song has to offer.
Dead Screen Scrolls is clearly a side project that isn't meant to be taken with the same wind as a proper studio album, but don't let that be a reason why you overlook it. The record has some genuinely exciting sounds and textures that make for a unique display of ambient music in 2020. Clarence Clarity has already proved he is one of the most creative voices in music today and this project even further shows off his versatility, if you like ambient music or have been particularly enamored with what Clarence has been doing over the past few years then give it a shot. 6.5/10
Album Cover Review by Tyler Judson:
This is just a cool photo in general. I'm not sure the technique used to take the image but I think that it's a strong composition and is very eye catching. I especially appreciate the distortion and aberration at the bottom to show you're looking through something. The color could be bumped up a little bit, it;s in that middle area where it;s not vibrant or dull and it throws me off. Also the addition of some sort of branding would've helped even if it was just a graphic in the bottom corner to give it some personality. 6/10
For more ambient music check out my review of Sufjan Stevens Aporia here
