Review: Mount Kimbie - Love What Survives

By Emma O'Regan-Reidy | Sep 28 2017

Mount Kimbie’s third album arrives some four years after their last effort, 2013’s Cold Spring Fault Less Youth. Though the British duo primarily work with electronic sounds, they encompass elements of? ?indie? ?rock?, ?similar? ?to? ?bands? ?like ?Beach? ?House.Much like a good leather jacket, Love What Survives seamlessly traverses all twenty-four hours of the day and night. The eclectic mix of rich electronica lends the record a certain malleability, making it as well suited to headphones on the daily commute as to the AUX? ?at? ?a? ??house? ?party. Themes of youthful listlessness and angst tie the eleven songs of the album together, creating an unsettling, yet familiar atmosphere. Tracks such as ‘T.A.M.E.D’ include muffled voices and haunting melodies, composed of eerie keyboard notes and sampling.Particularly central to this release is Mount Kimbie’s continued collaboration with Archy Marshall, under the moniker King Krule. On ‘Blue Train Lines’, Marshall’s unique croon evokes the image of a dull British day. In fact, much of the album exhibits similarities to his 2015 release A New Place? ?2? ?Drown,? ?which? ?focused? ?heavily? ?on? ?electronic? ?beats? ?and? ?subdued? ?lyrics.Love What Survives alludes to the canon of British rock music. ‘Audition’ and ‘Marilyn’, for instance, are reminiscent of The Cure, especially their songs such as ‘Inbetween Days’ and ‘Boys Don't Cry’. These references to music history add a? ?dynamic? ?layer? ?to? ?this? ?already? ?innovative? ?album.In? ?a? ?nutshell: This release demonstrates Mount Kimbie’s growth as a duo, and fans of electronic and? ?indie? ?music? ?alike? ?will? ?greatly? ?appreciate? ?it.