With over 50 instruments played by Ernest Greene on his second record, there has never been a more appropriate or less cringe worthy time to include the world ‘lush’ in an album’s description.
Another often-despised term, ‘chillwave’ was attributed to the thirty-year-old electronic musician when his 2009 debut EP Life Of Leisure, quickly and subsequent album Within And Without came out.
However Greene does his best to distance himself from the nonchalant effect of his debut by embodying an optimistic and lulling psychedelic approach on Paracosm.
The musician’s obscured vocals nullify any true connection to the lyrics, but they act as a wave of emotion just as the sporadic synth textures gently nudge the listener into a total state of submersion.
Grounding Paracosm with a mix of synthetic and organic instruments stops the listener from plunging fully into the depths of make believe. The record finds an impeccable balance between sounding human while allowing for a sense of the imagined.
Take the percussive backbone of ‘Don’t Give Up’ or the harp on the title track as two potent examples of Greene’s instrumental expansion.
Despite this, the album does just what its title suggests. Paracosm creates a free flowing fantasy. Not so much of the ridiculous variety, but instead one that instantly conjures up feelings of what will be future nostalgia.
From the euphoric ‘Falling Back’ to the simmering ‘Weightless’ the album has passive warmth and given Greene’s extensive instrumental approach the complexity here is rather impressive.
Regardless of Paracosm being somewhat of a departure from the chillwave of its predecessor, Washed Out is still predominantly unassuming in nature. It’s a fact that may leave cause for it to be forgotten as end of year album lists are compiled. Yet that would be a calamitous mistake, as Ernest Greene’s second release should be regarded alongside the year’s best records.
