Album Review: Rain Machine Self-Titled

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Rain Machine -

Rain Machine

Rating:
62 Album Review: Rain Machine Self Titled

[Released September 22nd via Anti-]

Album Review: Rain Machine Self Titled

With TV on the Radio going on hiatus for what will surely feel like an eternity, just where do you go to feed your hunger for TVotR music? Your answer: Kyp Malone.

Malone goes by the moniker Rain Machine. The music is not like the quilt like blend of various genres TVotR fans are used to. Instead, Malone aims at minimalistic indie blues, using sparse instrumentation consisting of his guitar and a hodgepodge of percussion instruments.

The unofficial First Aid anthem, “Give Blood,” starts off with heavy bells before a guitar riff as fuzzy as Malone’s beard cuts into the mix to spike up the album’s most energetic track.

After the punchy opener, the album begins to drift into a mellower state of conscious. There’s a certain intimacy and vulnerability in Malone’s husky howl and falsetto croon all over the album.

A handful of tracks span past the four minute mark, including the ballad “Smiling Black Faces.” The track is a slowburn song, building up as it goes until unleashing full force in the last minute. His lyrics are the true vehicle that serve this song, as it is sung in a storytelling fashion with some political charge added in.

There’s no doubt in my mind that Kyp Malone is one of the most talented musicians out there today. He has an uncanny ability to assemble a beautiful portrait of music through his intricate, fluid guitar playing, poetic lyrics, and his emotionally charged vocals. However, the long tracktimes start to bore the listener at certain points.

“Love Won’t Save You” drags on far too long and becomes too self-indulgent. With soley vocals and guitar, Malone’s lyrics are the centerpiece, unfortunately the listener will lose interest in this song that feels like it has no real direction. Instead it floats around for nearly eight minutes.

Continuing with TVotR’s quilt comparison, this album is but a piece of the fabric that makes up TVotR. Only this fabric could use a little patchwork in some spots.