UK band ENGINEERS was formed back in 2003, and have built themselves a reputation as a solid provider of music most commonly described as neo psychedelia and dream pop. They have four full length studio productions to their name at this point, and the most recent of these is “Always Returning” which was released through prestigious UK label Kscope in the fall of 2014.
The central premise of the material of Engineers, at least as it comes across on this production, is to produce cold, dream-laden music that is detached and distanced from the world itself. A subtle but powerful presence if you like, invading our space through the power of dreams and daydreaming, taking command of our attention by way of unobtrusive details that in sum becomes powerful.
The greater majority of these compositions may be described in such a manner, with the dampened, whispered and strangely emotionally detached vocals whispering their messages on top of a musical tapestry dominated by a keen absence of dramatic details. The drums are dampened, the underlying bass motif is a careful presence, and the multiple layers of keyboards nervously assemble into smooth but majestic presences filling out whatever gaps there might be in the arrangements at any given time, filling out even the tiniest gap available with a soft coating. Some nervous textures that may point towards post rock by accident or by design are just about enough to create and maintain a presence, a frail lifeline to hold on to for the listener you might say, but it works well enough.
On other compositions the band does opt to explore slightly different sounding approaches though, but rarely venturing far outside of what may be described as their comfort zone as of 2014 and when they do they always make sure to include one or more elements that points back to their core sound . The instrumental Innsbruck stands out for being an instrumental in the first place, but also for giving much more room to dominant instrument motifs, needed to maintain tension. Smoke and Mirrors, with it’s minimalistic sound pointing back to the likes of Tangerine Dream and possibly Kraftwerk too, is a more distinctly electronic affair naturally enough, one that does leave the minimalistic opening behind for a more sophisticated, multiple layered arrangement on it’s journey though.
The main standout track on this album is of another character entirely though. A Million Voices, combining an 80’s sounding pumping bass foundation with naive, playful keyboard details of the kind that should make most people still remembering the synth pop of the 80’s and 90’s break out into a delightful and perhaps cheesy smile, now this is a tune that should be destined for a fair amount of radio playtime in a fair and just world. A charming, elegant synth pop creation pointing back to older times in a sweet, charming retro-oriented manner while retaining the subtly cold, distanced and detached mood that appears to be so much of a core feature of Engineers the band.
All in all a real charmer of an album, as long as expressions like dream pop and synth pop aren’t descriptions that gives you a negative vibe. The cold, cosmic tinges and occasional post rock details, even if these may be accidental, should also make this production one that might interest an audience normally intrigued by more intricate types of music. As far as a recommended audience goes, I’d suggest that those who let their Talk Talk albums share space with the occasional sampler by the likes of Pet Shop Boys and Tangerine Dream might constitute something of a core crowd for this particular production.
My rating: 82/100
