WORDS BY VON GOLOKA
Magnificent, phenomenal, profound and inspired. A masterpiece in fact! All superlatives that just about manage to do justice to the latest and second long player “Visitor” from Philadelphia punk racketeers turned psych adventurers “Empath”. Due out early next year on Fat Possum records, global weirdness permitting, for once you can believe the hype rightfully surrounding “Visitor” and so alongside a hat full of glowing reviews I will add that for me it’s the best album of the year so far and more than likely to stay that way. Pretty darn good really considering that “Visitor” is also possibly the shortest album….. ever. For something so compact it is genuinely astonishing just how much inventiveness and sheer bloody content Empath have squeezed into “Visitor”. Not since Morgan Delt’s eponymous debut back in 2014 has anyone doubled down so hard on sonic alchemy and that is no easy task. Empath will be the first to acknowledge the sterling contribution and frankly borderline witchcraft-like skill of producer Jake Portrait from Unknown Mortal Orchestra on this one.
So on paper Empath have divided “Visitor” into eleven tracks but in truth the album runs from start to finish as an unfettered whole, cemented as the tracks are by an otherworldly sonic adhesive, mixing ambient and voyeuristic samples and recordings and it is that, in the great tradition of the concept album, that maintains momentum throughout. Though make your own mind up about the concepts at play. Empath stand charged as being the most exciting new psychedelic band in the US. Check… I’m cool with that. But “Visitor” also re-defines what experimental shock pop can be. It has a zero holds barred, no compromise, approach ably supported by simply awesome musicianship throughout . All very worthy indeed. Either way you,re gonna have to hang on tightly with “Visitors” as it tears along at a frenetic pace challenging the listener with countless twists and turns. Put simply this is genius stuff! “Visitors” will be, I’ve no doubt about it, one of those rare beasts where people ask “How the hell did they do that?” Hell I don’t know but I’m glad they did. All I know is that I’m duly bound to point out that you really should be digging this. You dig?
10/10
TRACKLISTING
1/ GENIUS OF EVEL
2/ BORN 100 TIMES
3/ DIAMOND EYELIDS
4/ PASSING STRANGER
5/ CORNER OF SURPRISE
6/ HOUSE + UNIVERSE
7/ ELVIS COMEBACK SPECIAL
8/ 80’S
9/ V
10/ BELL
11/ PARADISE
FOLLOW EMPATH
My life is a soundtrack, i track my life through music, photography is my passion, my escape, my expression. Without both i have pieces missing, thankfully i’m blessed and get to combine both.
Born in Manchester, lived in Australia for 22 years where i was heavily involved in the Australian Music Industry, firstly in bands (Singer) and then managing bands (all original), I moved back to the UK, Wales specifically 10 years ago and married my childhood sweetheart and life is good.
