The title of Australian sound artist Lawrence English's new album, Cruel Optimism, is taken from a 2011 book by Lauren Berlant. To Berlant, cruel optimism is "when something you desire is actually an obstacle to your flourishing"—specifically, when people dream of prosperity and security in societies that can no longer provide them. English's choice of title is also apt in the current climate: when reality threatens so much turmoil and suffering, optimism, though surely necessary for survival, can seem oddly cruel. These ideas are reflected in Cruel Optimism, in which English uses layers of drone to convey texture and meaning.
After years of making music mostly on his own, English has invited a long list of collaborators, including Swans guitarist Norman Westberg, percussionist Thor Harris, pianist Chris Abrahams and drummer Tony Buck. The result is an album that feels personal but also universal. Part of that universality comes from English’s patience—the way, for example, he lets tones and timbres endure. Some tracks on Cruel Optimism feel blunt and angry—take the crashing, abrasive blasts in "Hammering A Screw."
But no track on Cruel Optimism can be reduced to just one point of view. English's harsher moments still contain sunlight, and his calmer passages still course with tension. His production is tactile and echo-drenched, making everything both immediate and distant. As the album progresses, eeriness takes over. Tracks such as "Negative Drone" and "Somnambulist" sound ghostly and detached. But, in closing with the majestic reverberations of "Moribund Territories," English suggests there's room for optimism—the pure, uncruel kind—in his music.
After years of making music mostly on his own, English has invited a long list of collaborators, including Swans guitarist Norman Westberg, percussionist Thor Harris, pianist Chris Abrahams and drummer Tony Buck. The result is an album that feels personal but also universal. Part of that universality comes from English’s patience—the way, for example, he lets tones and timbres endure. Some tracks on Cruel Optimism feel blunt and angry—take the crashing, abrasive blasts in "Hammering A Screw."
But no track on Cruel Optimism can be reduced to just one point of view. English's harsher moments still contain sunlight, and his calmer passages still course with tension. His production is tactile and echo-drenched, making everything both immediate and distant. As the album progresses, eeriness takes over. Tracks such as "Negative Drone" and "Somnambulist" sound ghostly and detached. But, in closing with the majestic reverberations of "Moribund Territories," English suggests there's room for optimism—the pure, uncruel kind—in his music.
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Published /
Thu / 9 Mar 2017 -
Words /
Marc Masters -
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Tracklist /
01. Hard Rain
02. The Quietest Shore
03. Hammering A Screw
04. Requiem For A Reaper
05. Pillar Of Cloud
06. Exquisite Human Microphone
07. Object Of Projection
08. Negative Drone
09. Somnambulist
10. Moribund Territories
The Hague
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