Review: World's End Girlfriend “Resistance & The Blessing”
- by Martín Cacho
- in Reviews
World's End Girlfriend is widely known for his long-format output, post-rock minimalism, impeccable production skills, and collaborations with prominent artists such as Mono, Palmless Prayer, and Mass Murder Refrain. With each album, their most loyal listeners anticipate a blend of ambient pieces, slowly evolving post-rock tracks, electronic music, and 19th-century classical influences. However, in this album, they surpassed expectations and delivered 32 tracks, totaling an extensive 2 hours and 25 minutes of listening material.
As always, this album features numerous collaborations with intriguing singers and artists, including Smany, Aoki Yukata, Aroi Tasuku, and Samayazune.
In this new publication, he revisits previous personal favorite releases such as 'Eve' and 'Reincarnation No.9'. However, the majority of the content is fresh, high-quality material. Personally, I highly recommend giving a listen to 'Blue / 0 / 9' and 'Himitsu'; they offer a heavy dose of drama, melancholy, and goosebumps. Blue is more experimental and introduces prepared piano techniques, interesting uses of vocal production, and high-intensity melodic lines. Himitsu, on the other hand, is a more traditional post-rock song; however, it is brilliantly constructed with a satisfying climax and conclusion.
Yet, there are exceptions that didn’t resonate with me. For instance, 'Meguri' sounds akin to something from a poorly composed film score or a lackluster imitation of Prokofiev or a Camille Saint-Saëns' Waltz. Additionally, it recycles melodic formulas from other tracks, more notably, a reorchestrated quote from 'Eve,' which, for my taste, feels too cheesy. This sentiment applies to 'Godless Altar' and some other tracks on the album.
However, it's important to note that these are merely personal stylistic dislikes. Every song, including the ones I criticized, is virtuosically well-produced. What this album demonstrates, by eliciting both extreme love and notable dislikes from me, is its vast variety and diverse approaches to the same melodic material. I have no doubt that if you explore this album, you'll discover something you will absolutely love! There's something here for everybody.
