Album Review: City Girl - Chroma Velocity
After a miraculous three albums of music produced in 2018, that this is the second record released by famed lo-fi artist City Girl in 2019 is of course impressive, yet some may wonder whether or not the creativity of the music has taken a slight downturn as a result of such a grueling pace. Somnolent Nova was merely a summation of the various moods and styles City Girl had tackled up until that point, a palatable blend that nevertheless failed to provide much in the way of progress despite its multitude of guest artists. That Chroma Velocity has been released only five months later, maintaining the quite rapid pace City Girl kept throughout 2018, is therefore somewhat alarming, yet surprisingly the crop of songs presented within are at least as inventive as anything to come before them. Chroma Velocity is arguably the most innovative and experimental City Girl project yet, and a must-listen for any fans of its genre.
Any and all reason to attempt to label City Girl's music as just more bland, unimpressive electronic music is stifled as soon as the first track, Endless and Artificial, gets going. Delicately sprinkled piano notes quickly give way to a throbbing synth line, cutting in and out to create an odd, distorted effect yet never failing to convey its unforgettable melody. The percussion and bass continue to vary their ferocity throughout the song, but the aforementioned melody and passing vocal refrain keep everything neatly grounded. Between the song's constant evolution and unwavering intensity, it is a far cry from the (often ridiculed) lo-fi norms of stock 808 drum loops and wavering electronics, and could hardly function as relaxing, inoffensive background noise (save for the softer piano outro). City Girl's music has finally left its previously restrictive genre tenets behind for good, and is all the better for it.
Not to insinuate that the album's more subdued moments are subpar; Leave You at first appears to be merely a synth-driven mood piece, yet its atmosphere quickly develops into a sprawling showcase of ambient percussion and dramatic keyboard chords. The singer Rui Ying, who appears on three tracks in total, is a welcome addition to the collage of sound, employed as another element adding to the song's aural texture and yet managing to stick out and become lodged in one's memory all the same. Even on the short and somber Human Related Accident, the piano melody which forms the background of the minimalistic track feels organic and emotive despite its repetitive nature, and hardly requires the soft crescendo of strings introduced in the latter half (through the added depth is appreciated).
Whether due to a growth in popularity, a desire to bring in outside sounds, or some other reason, Chroma Velocity is another record to contain features from numerous lo-fi contemporaries throughout, a decision which works noticeably better here than on its predecessor. The strained, filtered blend of humming and crooning provided by tiffi on Saturation in Delay, Love in Anger in perhaps the most prominent example, meshing effortlessly with the beat and creating a melodic focal point around which everything else is given room to flourish. Meanwhile, the singing of Christina Shin is a soothing yet powerful complement to the bass-heavy groove of Contour, the lyrics an eerie prelude to the eventual synth eruption: "I lost everything that I knew/I started to not know who I was".
Occasionally, it does feel that City Girl is stretching a bit too far outside of what one might expect or enjoy; Empty Expressways, for all its forceful drum hits, features what is essentially a generic EDM buildup and 'drop', and what comes afterwards is neither powerful nor particularly interesting. For the most part, however, these digressions and experiments are quite compelling, and serve to further establish City Girl as one of the most exciting producers alive. The Limitless Void, another highlight, accomplishes this balance between tension and familiarity to great success, its filtered percussion and twinkling notes spiraling in intensity and culminating in a delicious pause before the melody of synth stabs comes crashing down.
Even at its many previous high points, the discography of City Girl has rarely felt confident enough to step outside of the safety of its genre, to take risks and play with sounds some listeners may find uncomfortable. This is not a criticism of the music; for what they are, each and every one of those projects is a unique, complex exploration of instrumental music, and a joy to listen to. Chroma Velocity is decidedly not an album one can put on and ignore while doing homework; it is relaxing, certainly, but also challenges the ear and moves in unexpected directions constantly. At least as catchy as its predecessors (and considerably more eccentric), any hesitation surrounding City Girl's continued excellence is here unequivocally refuted, in the most enjoyable way possible.
8/10
Favourite Tracks: Endless and Artificial, Opulent, The Limitless Void
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