Zero Point Fool - Good Night, Sweet Dreams.
Zero Point Fool has returned from a long hiatus with Good Night, Sweet Dreams., a tribute to a close friend of the artist who committed suicide. The album was lauded due to its impressive sound design and tight execution, and for good reason; there were some seriously impressive songs.
The album starts incredibly well. A Tale That Ends Too Soon is an ode to ZPF’s late friend’s favourite movies. I was impressed by the song even before I knew about its subject matter, moreso afterwards. The vocal college at the end is sublime, incorporating vocal cuts from cult classics such as Goodfellas and The Big Lebowski. It works, despite the cliches. Wagon Lord’s muted trumpet on Master Ruseman is an excellent addition, perfectly accompanying the edgy compositional detour. Letters is sentimental in the best possible way; if only it didn’t cop out at the end, because the atmosphere in the first half is divine. Lastly, Gave Up is short, but memorable, thanks to its distinct sections and frenzied walls of noise. A very nice balance to the darker tracks without sounding overly bubbly or cliche
On the second half of the album are standouts In A Dark Place, The Box and Motherfucker, Man!. In A Dark Place’s opening chords sound like Catherine Wheel, but the track doesn’t venture exclusively into shoegaze, as it alternates between sentimental singer-songwriting and glitchy collages. The result is delightful. The Box sounds like a demented version of the Cure on Disintegration, spliced with the vocal performances of Modest Mouse and the excellent, chaotic guitar work of post hardcore bands such as Rodan and June of 44. Motherfucker, Man! Is the best song on the album. It completely nails the gritty, faster paced sections. The beats are also really impressively implemented.
What stops the album from reaching great heights are the remaining songs. The worst offender is Trashed N' Smashed. Despite some great instrumental collages, most of the song is marred by a cheesy vocal delivery. Solid craftmanship, though cliche. The standout moment is about 90 seconds in, with one of the smoothest transitions on Deko.fm. Here the trumpets are noticeably present, but add very little. Last Love’s vocal deliver is once again a little too theatrical, though the collaging of instrumentation is grand and impressive, albeit short. The closer, Dónde Estaré Yo, ventures into prog rock territory with mixed results. While impressively written, it lacks flavour. Where it lacks flavour, it makes up for with a commendable climax; a shame it takes too long to get t here.
Good Night, Sweet Dreams doesn’t score much higher in the innovation department than previous Zero Point Fool releases, though it exceeds in the composition department. The artist successfully ventures into the mellow territory without sounding plain, and into the loud territories with boldness. At the same time, it succeeds at being emotionally expressive and enduring. The album works best when when its amps it up, or mellows in melancholia; it’s a shame some of the songs try to do both, resulting in mixed emotions.
Good
Listen to it here:
https://zeropointfool.bandcamp.com/album/good-night-sweet-dreams
Zero Point Fool - Good Night, Sweet Dreams.
