By: Gareth Watkin
East India Youth | website | facebook | twitter |
Released on April 6, 2015 via XL Recordings
Musician William Doyle, aka East India Youth, offers up the follow-up album to his 2014 debut album release Total Strife Forever with sophomore effort Culture of Volume. Doyle’s latest album sees the musician expanding upon many of the ideas and musical elements first explored on his debut release. A strong electronica element runs throughout the piece, anchoring together many of Doyle’s ideas together with some experimental notions, showing the musician as being a little more daring than most in the genre he currently works within. There are some interesting ideas being presented on Culture of Volume, which comes across as a much more rounded and stronger effort than its predecessor.
Culture of Volume for the most part continues much of what began on Total Strife Forever, offering electronic walls of noise that establish the groundwork for Doyle to add in other varying elements. There’s a strong experimental notion running throughout much of the album, accompanied by Doyle’s interesting vocal performances, adding a strong edge to his branch of electronic music. Everything feels arguably stronger on this latest release, with Doyle working hard to smooth out some of the rough edges. Many of the tracks on the album feel much better planned out and more strongly presented, resulting in a strong and enjoyable album effort.
Doyle seems to have pushed himself much more on his latest album, though despite this there’s still an almost reserved tone at times to it. There are many strengths to Culture of Volume, though a few of the musical elements on the album feel a little weak at times, with there not being much exploration of musical techniques. Instead, Doyle draws out his elements for long periods of time. This works well for a few of the tracks, with some of the more enjoyable moments being when Doyle really indulges himself for great passages of time. However, other tracks seem to come across as a little forgettable, with there not really being enough happening to warrant their inclusion on the album itself.
Though there are some weaknesses here and there, Culture of Volume comes across as a very strong effort from Doyle, and an album that perhaps surpasses his debut. Certain elements of the piece are arguably less adventurous, though it’s Doyle’s ability to refine his output that makes the album so enjoyable. Those who were so enamoured with the artist’s previous release will no doubt find Culture of Volume to be a more than satisfactory follow-up, and one that shows the artist as an evolving one who’s able to sometimes take a step back from his music, and work out how best to present his own ideas.
