This is the debut album from brothers Mike and Jared Bell of Tempe, Arizona – and a wee gem it is too. Clocking in at a succinct 40 minutes, this is like Tortoise’s younger siblings, or Boards of Canada’s understudies. However, Lymbyc System differ from Tortoise in that they lack the latter’s dubby sensibility, and tend to favour slightly faster tempos. Like Boards of Canada, there’s a feeling of looking back at childhood days, or reflecting on fleeting moments of pleasure and happiness – although without BoC’s melancholy nostalgia. Which is not to take anything away from the Bell boys – this disc is a fresh, tasty summer delight.
With a title like Love Your Abuser, you’d be forgiven for expecting some kind of corporate rock emo feel-my-pain snoozefest – however nothing could be further from the case. On this all-instrumental outing, the tunes are consistently memorable, the beats are light and springy, the sounds plangent and warmly fuzzy. The two brothers between them play various analogue keyboards, electronics and laptop – but get this – brother Mike plays real drums (whatever next?) on here. This really adds a lot to the grooviness of the album. And rather ambitiously for a debut set, themes, sounds and motifs recur over the course of the record – forming in effect a suite of linked pieces.
Love Your Abuser would sound equally great at a backyard barbecue, cruising down the highway, or on the train to work (where people would wonder why’ you’re looking so cheerful).
Ewan Burke
