Amazon.co.uk Review
Head-swimming prog-outs are
de riguer for maverick bedroom-based producer Echoboy, but on
Giraffe he chucks the epic precedents set by his early singles (see the 12-minute-long "Flashlegs") and takes a more traditional route, recruiting über-producer Flood for his most focused album yet. Warren's introspective lyrics occupy the main spotlight on most of the songs; where in the past his vocals were more decorative than structural, here they make for some surprising pop moments, especially on
Joy Division-esque single "Automatic" and the sinister synth-punk of "Good on TV". Flood's influence is noticeable throughout as he ups the fuzz factor by several MHz on the industrial crush of "Wasted Spaces", but he always guides rather than overwhelms.
Giraffe is quite possibly his best album yet, and its sordid mix of free-form psychedelics, eerie electro-house beats, distorted 70s-supergroup rock guitars and dirty disco bear Echoboy's stamp in genre-mashing innovation. Long may he continue on his upward trajectory. --
Leslie Gilotti