The debut release from Mr Fogg, Giving In is a slice of electronic pop that clocks in at just under ten minutes. Despite citing Radiohead as an influence, he shares little common ground with the stadium superstars - there’s little of Thom Yorke’s angst here, little rocking out, instead it’s supremely casual - a laid back, more linear affair.
All three tracks on show are comparable to US underground act Dntel (and inevitably, Jimmy’s side-project Postal Service), or Styrofoam from the depths of Belgium, whilst there’s an ambience to second track ‘Cogs’ not unlike that mastered by Autechre, and its tripped-out, multi-layered vocal intro will be welcomed by anyone who spends the early hours of whatever drunken day watching the weird videos on MTV2’s criminally unsung 120 Minutes show. The other two tracks (the opening title track, plus closing track ‘Bloodrush’) have a much more indie feel, as Fogg’s voice comes to the forefront with a soft and high register throughout as he sings of his various woes. Were it set to a backdrop of reverberating overproduced guitars, Giving In would probably be yet another release comparable to Coldplay and their ilk, but alongside the dry looping drums and electronic sounds it instead provides a certain variety.
Sure, the two contributing parts that go towards making this single are paths well trodden when taken on their own, but the way they intertwine is what gives Giving In its appeal, and should you choose to purchase it, you are buying into a Postal Service which doesn’t actually involve Royal Mail, a short burst of relaxed, reclining electronica with the faintest hint of daytime radio. Whether it could be strung out into a full-length release remains to be seen, but over three tracks it resonates with the heartstrings amiably.
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7ben marwood's Score