Clap Your Hands Say Yeah
Only Run
Reviewed by: Lara Supan
If there was a remake of 2001: A Space Odyssey coming out, we’d have a shoe in for the sound track.
Only Run is filled with distortion, reverb, musical laser shows and powerful synthesizers, which unfortunately slur and distort lead singer Alec Ounsworth’s voice so much that he sounds like a Brit-pop Shane McGowan. Through the entire album, there are only a few choice sentences that can be made out, and of course they don’t make sense when you hear them because of lack of context. Don’t listen to Only Run for the words or you’ll be greatly disappointed. If you want to hear what a completely digitalized, futuresque set of tunes sounds like, you’ve got gold on your hands!
“Coming Down” is an interesting track on the album, with in-breathes mixing with percussion at the beginning of the song. At the end of the song is a bit of speak singing narrative, in which they say something about writing the song in a pig sty. I’d say the most intriguing song on the album is the remix of “Impossible Request”. This takes a lot of the synth, reverb and distortion out of the mix and allows the words to be understood and quality of voice to be heard. Armed with a simple clap machine and a couple of synth pads, the harmonies between Ounsworth and his female counterpart are quite listenable, albeit a little shrill on the high notes.
This album is a glimpse into a completely digitalized and distorted landscape of music. With a Bladerunner type feel to it, it’s got potential to prove a point, except you can’t understand what point they’re trying to make. It’s an interesting experience, but largely unremarkable and forgettable in the pop scene today.
Rating: 
