A resident of VampVinyls, Loyal Opposition is back with more of his eccentric instrumentals in the form of fourth album: ‘Euphoria’. His mission is simple. Loyal Opposition wants to evoke the same feeling in others as when he first discovered music, even before he picked up his first instrument.
Loyal Opposition finds euphoria in his distinctive
style, and this aptly named album is reflective of his conviction to his uniqueness,
regardless of certain criticisms. Those who are familiar with his music have pondered
over why he doesn’t implement vocals into his songs, but to put it simply,
Loyal Opposition finds the conventional way of crafting music not as fun and
enjoyable.
Loyal Opposition revealed: ‘I might hit a bum guitar note, but
after re-doing a song once, although it was technically perfect, it was so
sanitized, and just sounded plastic, shiny. I like a little bit of dirt.’
*
‘Euphoria’
is a celebration of that ‘little bit of dirt’ and to kick off the revelry of
the imperfect, the first track we will be looking at is titled ‘Groove’.
Of
course, with this being a Loyal Opposition track, we open with a rushing rill
of jubilant drumbeats, stoked by a playful, presto tempo. I think the
introduction didn’t need the dissonant phosphenes of the gritty guitar, but
thankfully it wasn’t too distracting.
The
tuner emerges – once again – a signature of Loyal Opposition’s style. Its
effect on the sound quality is not as seamless as the puissant melody of the drums;
its diffident timbre makes for an unsure melodic structure. Alongside the
galvanic drums, it creates a bizarre harmony that – if it weren’t for that
killer drumbeat – wouldn’t scream ‘Groove’ to me.
As
‘Groove’ progresses, the drumbeat takes the forefront and I know I’m a broken
record when it comes to Loyal Opposition’s drumming abilities, but I can’t give
enough praise. This is the part of the song that makes me want to jump up and
dance, swarmed by a fusillade of meteoric rhythm.
Unfortunately,
it is after this point in the track where Loyal Opposition loses me. The pulses
of cacophonous guitar grow rapidly more vicious as the drums demand your ear and
– for me – the melody derails and becomes inordinate.
This
is then followed by quite an unusual rhythm change – one which I preferred, but
admittedly had me scratching my head as to why it was included. It celebrated a
crooning bass, fanned by the fire-spitting drums, that actually reminded me a
little of a time trial in an old arcade game. I am always fond of music that
has that nostalgic sliver of charm to it, and I only wished Loyal Opposition
expanded on this construct.
*
The
next track we shall be sinking our teeth into is of the name ‘End of The Year’.
The
opening of this track has me intrigued immediately! The glassy, gossamer-like
nature of the drums laces through the crevices of the suave piano harmonies.
The dalliance between the piano harmonies concocts an interesting, intertwining
bourn of darkness and light that is quite spectral in its tonality.
It
is as if the listener were in a haunted, debonair lounge and the instruments
started playing on their own accord!
Foreshadowed
by the spry texture of the maracas, the melody veers away from the ghostly
harmonies and delves into a sultry, Flamenco-esque dynamic that is an
enthralling as it is romantic.
I
wished that amorous segment had lasted longer; before you can adjust to the
melody change, you are thrust back into that haunted lounge – although yes, it
mirrors the flurries of vestiges and memories you may dwell upon at the end of
the year, it doesn’t seem like a deliberate act of symbolism.
This
track feels like it has an underlying story that is obfuscated by swaths of
occasionally discordant melodies and unnecessary effects. To Loyal Opposition’s
credit, the discord lends itself to the mystic atmosphere, making it all the
more eerie, even if it wasn’t entirely intentional.
Despite
this, the track ends on a mesmerising diminuendo of poignancy and passing time,
with the other-worldly sound of the piano and the countdown of the hand-drums.
*
Concluding
our glance at Loyal Oppositions fourth album, the third track ‘Thanks’ opens
with a thunderous mood that permeates across the entire song.
Right
off the bat, I’m getting the sense that this display of gratitude is actually
quite mordacious in reality. With snarling oscillations and a trenchant
drumbeat, the track is brought to life by the arrival of a youthful rhythm via
the keyboard.
Riding
on the chaotic waves of ever-changing dynamics, this track is the most cohesive
for me. The melodic changes aren’t too jarring, and every instrument
contributes to an oblique narrative of an angst-riddle relationship gone sour.
What
intrigued me the most, when listening to ‘Thanks’, was that I’d be fully
confident in my interpretation if it weren’t for the moderato tempo that
effused sprinkles of joy amongst the mainly rancorous composition.
It
is monomaniacally hopeful, in fact, as if maybe Loyal Opposition is rebuilding
bridges once burnt. I find that Loyal Opposition excels at elusive
story-telling in the way he crafts his music and that is what I love about
exploring every little decision that contributes to his style.
Ending
with a short-lived diminuendo, ornamented by a sequestered keyboard, the track
leaves you with a short, sharp cadence that feels cold and bitter.
*
‘Euphoria’
is Loyal Opposition’s fourth album, although a little rough around the edges,
every track tells a distinctly different story which provides a rollercoaster
of emotions that envelopes the listener into every narrative. It is lovely to
see how – with every album – Loyal Opposition is improving and learning to
control his compositions. I can’t wait to see what he does next!
Loyal
Opposition’s Channel:
https://www.youtube.com/c/LoyalOpposition
My Previous Reviews of Loyal Opposition:
https://vampvinyls.blogspot.com/2022/10/loyal-opposition-peek-into-twelve-year.html
https://vampvinyls.blogspot.com/2022/11/loyal-opposition-returns-with-second.html
https://vampvinyls.blogspot.com/2022/11/loyal-opposition-shares-third-album.html
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