The eponymous single of Limbo Limbs’s debut EP is a sweet introduction to the stylistic sensibilities of the artist. The very first notes of “Good Company” are evocative of a mainframe dial-out from within the Matrix, so right away you get a sense that we’re in a post-industrial electronic soundscape.
There’s a pervasive electronic hum throughout the track which could almost be mistaken for feedback if not for its congruence with the overall ambiance of dystopian malaise. The low-level distortion within “Good Company” serves as a sonic metaphor for the ordered chaos that is musically reflective of the narrative. The distortion isn’t quite as present in the following two tracks, serving as an introduction to the dystopian setting and dark narrative.
In the second track “Slipping Underneath,” we find a more balanced EQ, where the vocals are much more distinct from the underlying instrumentation, allowing us to enjoy the lead’s — Biddadat’s Cameron Brownell — voice and the chilling departure from reality that the lyrics suggest. Here, we have something like a dark lullaby where the subject is beckoned to a terrestrial bed of an enchanted and deathlike slumber. The lilt of the vocals and dissonance of the accompanying production balance each other nicely, and they’re punctuated by the percussion, which keeps the song industrially tethered. The vocals are harmonious and soothing against the metallic and thundering guitar and drums.
The EP culminates in a cautionary melody underscored by electric guitar, some rocking percussion, and a bass line reminiscent of early 90s video game themes (but with a touch of funk). “Marble Faces” is a well-written and vocalized melody, elucidated by the description included with the EP:
In the song’s narrative, a man is cautioned against his resistance to change and his willingness to discard his humanity in exchange for the stagnancy and rigidity of his marble companion in the garden. In the end, the man succumbs to his fear of uncertainty and is overtaken by the garden, becoming a statue himself. The atmosphere of “Marble Faces” isn’t as dark as it is heavy, layered with percussion, electric guitar, synthesizers, and bass — but it’s expertly broken up with the pleasant melody of the chorus: “beware my darling of green hedges with bad intentions.”
The lyrical narrative of the EP really spotlights the writing sensibilities of Brownell and Limbo Limbs producer/composer/engineer Hollis Parks. My experience of music is most dramatic when the story within is able to unfold with repeated listening and a little background research, and Good Company is definitely worthy of several repeat listening sessions. You’ll hear something slightly new each time, as the complex production and lyrics are reveal themselves slowly over time. Metal takes a poetic twist in this debut EP by Limbo Limbs, with thought-provoking lyrics and ear-catching instrumentation.
Good Company
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