Lake Feile - As If It Were All For Nothing

Lake Feile

As If It Were All For Nothing
self-released; 2013

3.9 out of 5

By Matt Jensen

One of my favorite pastimes is putting on a pair of headphones, listening to artists like Max Richter or Star Of The Lid and walking around the city of Chicago. The music coats the city in nostalgia, depth and a beautiful melancholy that drowns out the sound of cars, my footsteps and people. As I was listening to the new album As If It Were All For Nothing by Lake Feile it created a similar type of atmosphere that stemmed from music that touches a little part of your soul. There are five pieces on this album that are sparse and use space as another component to the music. It’s simple and full of singular sounds without much going on besides the emotions they reach.

The first track “Luisa” begins with a serene pad of warmth that floats in and out of existence. It’s a peaceful tone that you might hope to hear at moments of intense relaxation while letting the  ego dissolve. It’s so slight but effective as the strings enter in the most non-intrusive way possible. “Blue Blanket” utilizes a reverb-laced piano that plays strategically placed chords in order for the sustained warm tones of synths to wrap itself around the music. There are percussion elements that are covered in a hall type reverb that make them sound as if they are being played on a mountaintop.

“Meet Me In Montauk” is the shortest piece on the album lasting a little over two minutes. The song revolves reversed sine waves that cascade back and forth amongst the frequency spectrum. It is a short, haunting piece. “Sedona’s House” was a highlight amongst the batch and offers a piece that revolves around a hypnotic piano melody. The album closes with “Her Sighting,” which is another composition that revolves around nuances and distant echoes.  

This is the type of album that provokes reflection through sounds that feel like they are extensions of the world around you. Its not an album you will need to listen to every day but you will be happy to know it’s there for you when you need it.

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