EP Review: Flume and Chet Faker – ‘Lockjaw’
2 min read
2013 has been a fairly momentous year for both Flume and Chet Faker. Flume has garnered international acclaim with his self-titled album, which has propelled him into the ranks of electronic music’s current heavyweights. He’s toured the world multiple times and he’s only 22 years old. Chet Faker has been experiencing a more gradual rise to stardom, but his unique and soulful voice has already attracted attention from music fans at all corners of the globe. The two Australian musicians first joined forces on Flume’s debut album with the track Left Alone. Now, they’re back with a captivating three-track EP, Lockjaw.
Lockjaw begins with Drop the Game; a slow-moving, head-bopping, thump of an electronic anthem. It’s been a long time since I’ve heard a song that’s draws me in so much that I end up playing it on repeat for hours on end, but that’s exactly what happened upon first hearing this track. Drop the Game is soulful with Faker’s sultry cool voice laid before Flume’s high-pitched frequencies and deep drones of bass. It’s as close to perfect as electronic music has come in a long time. What’s clear here is the simple fact that these two musicians have effectively combined their individual talents and the results are simply spellbinding.
This Song is Not About a Girl is definitely unexpected with its fast tempo lounge ambiance that slowly builds to an anxiety filled adrenaline ride. It’s unfortunate that Faker’s vocals are largely covered up on this track to make room for Flume’s sounds. That said though, the sounds that Flume builds here are very pleasing and serve as his time to shine on the EP. It’s a rainy day dance anthem that builds to euphoria without ever losing the unabridged brooding quality these two exude.
What About Us is certainly the most minimalistic song on the album, and it’s here where Faker mostly shines. Still, the bass line is interesting enough to draw you in, while the simple drumbeat keeps you there. It’s the perfect way to calm you down just enough from This Song Is Not About A Girl. Yet, the track still builds its own energy in a slow and rather moody manner.
The EP is obviously a brief one with just three tracks. Each track though is clearly purposeful in its intent as a song and the EP stands strong and even goes as far as exceeding some of the overdrawn full-length albums seen today in the genre of electronic music. The EP will undoubtedly leave you wanting more, and with this, we can only hope to see more releases from these two talented artists in the not so distant future.
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