innerworld - innerworld

Innerworld

Innerworld
self-released; 2013

3.7 out of 5

By Jamie Funk

I was listening to Innerworld the self-titled debut solo album from Brian Brancheau and was wondering how I would classify this music. After listening to the album I still don’t know. At the heart of it it’s basically Brancheau experimenting with a drum machine, keyboards and bass. I really think that Brancheau sat down with a minimal amount of equipment and tried to create the most wicked thing he could come up with, not giving a hoot about genre or who he would be appealing to.  When you listen to this album the songs sound a bit like a jam session but a lot more organized.

Brancheau goes in and out of grooves and simply abandons them when he is bored or layers something on top of them. One thing that seems certain to me is that Brancheau had a fun time creating these songs and it shows in the overall energy of the album.At the center of a lot of these songs is the bass. It often carries the energy as well as creates the foundation for a lot of the melodies. That being said there is plenty of electronic ear candy you can delve into along the way.

The album begins with the jazz inspired “Visceral Mind,” which revolves around a walking bass line while shards of white noise, lead guitar and other electronic components come in and out of existence. From beginning to end the song is in a constant state of transition. Never feeling comfortable with one particular groove, Brancheau at the very least could not be called boring. “Static Pulse” combines arpeggiated synths and distorted synth bass to make one of the highlights of the album. Its a strong song with dark overtones that hit the spot. Another triumphant song on this album is “Burn Until Our Last Breath.” It creates an ominous cloud of lead synths and pads and hints towards a style that could be described as industrial at points. At the very least Nine Inch Nails fans might appreciate this one.

Innerworld is a good album although it does overstay its welcome by a tad. By the end of the record I felt like it was a bit of a sensory overload. Besides that it’s ambitious, creative and a couple of the tracks really lock into a solid grove. 

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