If you have eclectic taste, Will Whamond’s album, The First of Many might be for you. If you enjoy a cacophony of sounds that really provoke no feeling, you might like The First of Many. But for me, I err more on the side of hoping this is the last of any.
At times I felt I was listening to a mix of the random Midi files I used as a background to my Angelfire or Geocities website. Whamond layers the synths heavily. The production is crisp, but the sounds are too digital, if that’s even possible. To put it simply, the album is synthesizer overload; though I can see these songs being used as clips in commercials or video games, it would be a shock to learn listeners jam to the album in their car or living rooms.
One respectable aspect of The First of Many is that Whamond dabbles in different sounding genres. He can go from a jazz to hip hop to regular ol’ pop from one song to the next. “En Vigro De Nada” could be in a Star Wars-esque video game and “Dance Peeps” might star in the Sims game-the one with the alien. The high-pitched in and out nuances are from outer space. “Atmospheres in the Congo” is a descriptive enough title as Congo drums are seemingly used on the track.
“Can’t Stand Losing You” is one of the songs that includes vocals, and frankly, it’s painful to listen to. There are just so many things going on, and the vocals don’t line up with the music in the slightest. One redeeming track is “More O Dat Muzak!” It’s dark and angst filled, yet still happens to be tainted by the chipmunk effect on half of the vocals.
Maybe Will Whamond put a valiant effort into The First of Many, but to me it sounds like a congregation of sounds that only sometimes manage to fit together. I could see some of the clips making it into movies or games, but there is nothing spectacular or overly pleasing about this album.
Key Tracks – More O Dat Muzak!
Christen LaFond – Assistant Editor/Staff Development
July 30, 2011
