Flatsound - Sleep

Im going to be brutally honest, i saw this (album?) come up as a suggestion on Youtube, and once again the album art gripped me. I wasn't entirely sure what to expect because recently to this date, i've been listening to a lot of random shit. Some good. Some terrible. 

I can't do too much research on Flatsound, but what I can, is all personally put up from a blog. There are various titles about, but this is the one i want to write about. Im under the impression Flatsound consists of a solo artist named Mitch from California. Very emo arty sort of guy it seems. Soft acoustic sounds are what to expect, and I really like the fusion of trumpets and background sounds you get throughout this album, they are very faint with the soft airy vocals. It works. 

The first song starts after a door creaking sound and chimes, the guitar comes in lightly. This first song is named Sleep. The voice as a first time listener is enjoyable and intriguing. I actually dig it a lot, and then the acoustics get a very slight distort sound as it gets louder, and self backing vocals come into a part of the build up. I will state this now, this is easily my favourite song of the album, it will more than likely be yours too. I can imagine this going well to summery footage of two twats in love running around. Im not knocking it, its a good thing. If You Love Me Come Clear is the next song, and the instrumental style is very much the same but lighter, but the vocals turn much softer, and it works well and is touching in its own manor. Lyrically, its very Tumblr... Very yolo statement. Predictable I guess,but the point comes across. From here on out, we get a very much same sound, and admittedly, it gets boring. But maybe this is because Im a first time listener and i want more change? Perhaps Flatsound fans like this and stay for it. Change comes around once we get to the track To See You Alive, this is nice. The vocals are much less whispered. He sings, please do this more it works very well. It's short and within the content actually sweet. It starts to pull out skits of conversations sounding something like a catfish tv show phone call. 

This album is almost in two parts, we have acoustic guitars and vocals with poetry i guess, and then the album slowly transforms into a hideously long styled outro almost shoe gaze styled... It got me bored very quick and not wanting anymore of Flatsound. the concept of this whole piece is a good idea and I get where it's going, but I feel a few changes in future releases should apply from this criticism. Have something leading us on to a song, use the anticipation card. There are some nice sounds, but I didn't expect background noise after listening to 20 odd minutes of well composed and structured songs. It does eventually lead to something towards the very end, a very fuzzy vocally sounding song with water falling in the background. This is mixed in far too loudly. This is the edgy big finale to have a note from the guitar and fade out while the water still pours horribly and loudly. 

To cut a good thing short just like this album, it's like chewing a nice flavoured chewing gum then carrying on with it although the flavour is lost. It's a shame, there is a lot of potential in these songs. 

Listen here...