Four Tet : 'There Is Love In You'
Released: 25th January 2010
Label: Domino Records
2009 wasn’t a bad year for Keiran Hebden, with various great remixes and THAT collaboration, along with the rather fabulous Joy Orbison remix of single “Love Cry”. And so 2010 heralds the release of “There Is Love In You”, his fifth studio album and it’s… well, it’s a Four Tet album. This is not, of course, a criticism as such but neither is it necessarily such a positive thing.
It is a hard subject to approach from an objective viewpoint; few would argue that having one’s own sound is a key aspect of success (that, or jumping on the back of a band wagon on its final run for take off, but I know which I’d prefer to have). However, a distinct sound is often also a tool which people wield to rubbish bands which are not their liking. Often heard are the calls of, “All their stuff sounds the same,” which I would have to argue is more often than not put forward to bands and artists who, whilst having a distinct flavour, have not the creativity to really utilise this fact and have more likely stumbled across it by accident and lack the mentality to deal with it effectively. Others, of course, are naturally creative and/or gifted and weave their own sound and structure, which they continue to hone and develop from there on in.
I feel Mr. Hebden is somewhat of an anomaly in this sense. One would be hard pushed to call him lazy and uncreative, we are all aware of his talent. It is also not as though he is producing bad albums, far from it in fact as “There Is Love In You” is a rather lovely record, and lush throughout. However I always feel that there is something quintessentially lacking in his music. The lo-fi electronica of tracks such as “Sing”, “Angel Echoes” or single “Love Cry” are all beautifully crafted and are certainly to be admired. Hark back to the Four Tet/Burial collaboration of 2009, however, and the whole thing immediately feels more complete with Burial’s sparse basslines, shifting beats and sense of melancholy.
Having said that though, it is not always true, as there are exceptions to everything. Here, tracks such as “This Unfolds”, which is a stunning piece that, literally, unfolds before like a cross between a nightingale’s song and a joyful section of Mike Oldfield’s “Tubular Bells” for all of eight minutes, soar and lift the record as a whole. And it is just these tracks which trip Four Tet up somewhat through showcasing his true ability. While these tracks fly high, pieces of it meander, albeit in a very listenable and ambient sort of way, which leaves one coming away slightly unsatisfied and a little confused, if somewhat calmer and quite relaxed. A mixed bag that will almost certainly reap the benefits of repeated listening and one which, despite not being the record he is truly capable, is a truly capable record and deserves to listened to as such.
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