Time is the main theme running through Seattle-based
Marshall Watson’s first solo album. Entitled The
Time Was Later Than He Expected, over half the
track titles also refer to moments in time (Fifty
In June, A Boy In September, About
The Time I Remembered, Heart Of Mine, Beating,
Lost At Seven, Early On Later Off).
It is however unclear whether these are pure coincidences,
an untold obsession, or more prosaically a concept.
The latter sounds somewhat unlikely considering the
lack of running theme through the music, and the former
lacks of romanticism. Quoted in the press release mentioning
the impact of the weather on his work, a further evidence,
for this reviewer, of the obsession theory, Watson crafts
a melancholic piece of work where subtle sound structures
build up and alter the atmospheric canvas of this record.
Watson has been involved with music for a while now,
originally through a club night he ran in New Orleans
with Pete Lazonby, who has released records for Pagoda
Records and Hooj Choons, before forming Polar Frequencies,
a techno dub project, with Brian Geoghagan. After moving
to Seattle, Watson befriended local hip-hop producer
and Zero BPM Records owner Jeremy Moss and had his first
track published on a compilation of Seattle hip-hop
and down tempo.
On Time Was Later Than He Expected, Watson
presents a varied collection of gritty narrative electronica
moments, which act as sumptuous backdrops for his atmospheric
ambiences. In just under fifty minutes and nine tracks,
Watson creates short-to-medium-length vignettes based
around warm analogue waves and hip-hop inspired beat
structures. As Watson collates slightly introvert melodies
and applies gentle arrangements, with discreet glitches
occasionally grazing the otherwise slick surfaces, this
album appears to gain confidence as it progresses. If
the opening couple of tracks are interesting enough
pieces, the listener has to look further down the album
for the stronger and more mature compositions. Square
Wheels or Lost At Seven in particular
demonstrate Watson’s melodic aplomb and are definitely
very promising. When the pace accelerates a tad and
Watson ventures out of his shell to explore the world
around him on Heart Of Mine, Beating, the mood
becomes lighter and less controlled. Yet, the man is
obviously more at ease with more restrained compositions.
The approximative production sometimes lets this album
down slightly, yet it also gives it an interesting unfinished
feel and fragility. The lack of sonic clarity is balanced
with warm clouds of sound, making The Time Was Later
Than He Expected more than just an interesting
debut.
3.7/5 |
