As though bathing in an eternal afternoon, Flica breathes a calm beatitude, and indulges its appetite for sugar and spirits. Cleanness and precision mingle with the whimsical and blithe, the unbridled dance with the imperious, and there is joyance everywhere, as sweet as the first hesitant notes of the dawn chorus.
All of this music is as sparse or as complex as one wishes, as engaging or as ignorable as birdsong, and as vital, animated, and monotonous as the ocean waves. Strong in substance, and mostly sharply focused, Flica’s programming keeps things nonchalant and understated, though not for want of ideas. A single creative flux does account for the entirety of the albums material, but it proves to be a fertile source of inspiration; its motley vibrations comfortably stretching out and assuming numerous pleasing shapes over the course of the album.
Akira Kosemura – of Schole records – and Haruka Nakamura – who recently released Grace on the formers imprint – are responsible for production on a pair of songs, and truly this album participates and develops the appealing aesthetic that informs both of these artists, respectively. A rippling blanket of ringing though soft-edged tones and plaintive piano and violin harmony makes up track six, an album highlight. It’s also one of the pieces during which Ika’s clear, refreshing voice tinges the air with shades of rose, and accentuates the group’s ability for simple, beautiful melodies. As summery and buoyant as it is, so too is it vividly rendered. Every piece is rich, poetic, and stimulating as well.
Max Schaefer
