Deep Control is the latest release from Department M, and they’ve created a nice, ambient piece that’s an accessible and easy listen.
This both works in the band’s favour, and against it. Department M have certainly crafted a nice piece of art and the flow from each song to the next is great – the movement from each track to the next is almost effortless and the vocals are a particularly nice element. They have a wonderfully smooth quality to them that almost makes them sound soothing, and there’s also a lot of emotion in them, particularly in tracks such as Bad Formulae and Surreal Life, which feature some very powerful choruses in particular. Another highlight of the album is Stress Class, which features a striking synth introduction that continues underneath the vocals as the track progresses and it’s a nice touch, helping to give the track an extra lift.
However it does have to be said that at times, Deep Control is somewhat lacking in the ‘excitement’ department. Yes, it is a fairly good listen, but at times it almost feels too simplistic and minimalistic, so it would have been nice to have a little bit of complexity added sparingly on occasion just to make the release a little more engaging, thus keeping the more avant-garde feel but giving the music a little more variety.
Saying that, Deep Control is nevertheless an enjoyable listen and easy listen – although at times it does serve more as background music than a fully immersive album.
7/10
