Nicolas Jaar - Sirens

Nicolas Jaar
Sirens
2016
Spotify

Chilean-American Nicolas Jaar has always gone for the strange, eerie and uncomfortable. Somewhat in the same vein as Aphex Twin but not quite as technical and much more emotional. On the opening track spanning 11 minutes we hear Jaar attempt to come with terms of his own place in the current mess of the American election. He equates his own death with that of Black Lives Matter protesters but not in the my life is just as important as yours kind of way, but more simply trying to understand. "Killing Time" features a gentle piano, breaking mirrors and a healthy dose of silence to get the message across. The song is haunting and the way it spills into the somewhat upbeat "The Governor" should be off putting, but it works. "The Governor" relies heavy on a few improved dance moments, really getting deep into a sway and letting it just ride out. What is really interesting about these songs the never end where they began, not even close. It is hard to get your bearings at any point because Jaar will simply throw something new in, something totally different yet it still fits and still makes sense. Throughout the record there are recordings of Jaar from when He was a boy discussing different, quite deep topics, with his father and they serve as a transportation device, showing today's problems aren't all that different from Yesterday's.

On Sirens there is a great deal of morality put on the political system, and it's failings. Jaar seems to feel like a lot of his generation that He has the highest form of Morality within his grasp, and can't understand why the rest of the world is not getting on board. This confusion, or bewilderment really, seems to be the pervasive theory of the day, "Why doesn't everyone understand?". Instead of exploring that throughout however Jaar is more adept at putting what HE thinks out there and starting from the point that he knows what is going on. At only six tracks, yet over 41 minutes, the pacing of the record can feel really fucked up. However that is simply Nicolas Jaar's way, He is not going to do the expected, ever, and in a way that is great artistically but it also can feel just quite odd. This record really is a departure from his last, but none of his albums ever seem the same. The political overtones are very present but not all that mind blowing so the record does fall a bit short in that regard. In the end however the music that Jaar creates is so varied and so experimental, you can't help but be intrigued.

7.4 out of 10