[divider]Cohesion[/divider]
Abandon Ship does an excellent job of staying cohesive despite featuring immense variety. The songs transition very well between each other and are in a sensical order that improves the listenability of the album. Abandon Ship is almost banded together in different stages and represent the various phases of Knife Party’s career. The beginning starts with classic Knife Party; rhythmic four-on-the-floor electro mixed with aggressive dubstep. As the album progresses, so does Knife Party’s sound. The middle part of Abandon Ship forms a nice segway between Knife Party’s old and new production styles. By the end of the album, you realize you are in an unfamiliar realm. A blend of disco and house enable Abandon Ship to cap off on a smooth note. The last couple of songs are a pleasant send off for the listener, after a wild and adventurous album. Micropenis seems a bit misplaced as track number nine, but as a whole the album flows nicely. Begin Again is the track that best holds Abandon Ship together. It features a sweet disco vibe, an epic synth solo and Rob Swire’s dreamy vocals. Pretty hard to go wrong with that. In some ways Begin Again is the most vanilla song on the album, but it is also probably the most necessary.
Featured Track: Knife Party- Begin Again
[divider]Originality[/divider]
Certain crazed Knife Party fans will always question the group’s originality because of Rob and Gareth’s occasional abandonment of the sound that brought them to prominence. For producers as talented as Knife Party, it can be very difficult to pigeonhole your style into one particular genre. Artists typically find themselves in a lose-lose situation because some listeners want them to stick to their original style and others want them to branch out. Knife Party actually manages to fill the hearts of dubstep purists by making tracks similar to their older stuff while still expanding their sound. That in itself is a major win for Abandon Ship. Give It Up will definitely have bass heads conjuring up memories of the good ol’ days, as the track’s similarity to reggae-infused dubstep classic Bonfire is uncanny.
Featured Track: Knife Party- Give It Up
To listen to Knife Party’s Abandon Ship, click on the SoundCloud link below or purchase the album through iTunes here. The group released all of their past work for free, so buying Abandon Ship would be a great way to reward the group for all of their hard work. Rob and Gareth definitely deserve a break after their past year in the studio. However, that does not stop us from eagerly awaiting their return to Pendulum for what is sure to be another classic album.
We at Dance Music Northwest are excited for you to listen to Abandon Ship, so fill us in on your opinions by following us on Twitter or by liking us on Facebook. Knife Party is set to begin their Abandon Ship tour in December, but unfortunately do not have any stops in the Pacific Northwest booked at this time. You can be sure that Dance Music Northwest will be the first to let you know when Knife Party will be coming back. Until next time!
Important things happen in Pacific Northwest nightlife, and DMNW will send you alerts!
