Further though, for the first time, I would argue that there are small glimpses of 'old' Porter Robinson tucked within the belly of this track. To find out what I mean by that, read on.
With Flicker, Porter has further proven that he simply doesn't care what people expect from his debut album, and is quite content to be following his own path. It's an approach that's worked well so far, as he's worked hard to ensure that although his new music is diverse and different, his vision and concept for Worlds is crystal clear. It's something I touched on when I said what I thought we could expect from the album a few weeks ago - he's trying to create an ethos around each track, by focusing on beauty, song writing and storytelling. And it's a trend that continues with this latest track.
Does it work this time around? Well, yes and no. It's largely successful - the massive synths and chord progressions at what you might describe as the 'drop' are devastatingly beautiful and powerful, and deserve to be blasted out at a high volume. It feels like a massively summery, upbeat track, one which shows yet another aspect of the new style and techniques that Porter has been tirelessly developing for the past few years. What I find interesting about this track, is the aforementioned glimpse of 'old' Porter. Around the 2:40 mark, we find a section of gritty, glitchy synths that wouldn't have felt out of place during his Spitfire era. It's by no means a relapse to that style, but it is a welcome nod. It's nice to see that it appears as if he's been thinking of thoughtful and creative ways to retain those elements, without going back into full-on electro bangers.
What doesn't work, then? So, I get that he's trying to find quirky and unique ways to create a little world for each track to exist within. And I know that he loves Japanese culture, and has been trying to incorporate this in his music. But I'm sorry, for me the chopped up, Japanese vocal samples just don't work. I find them to be an unwelcome distraction in what could otherwise be one of his strongest tracks from Worlds yet. They just feel unnecessary. He proved with Sea Of Voices that he's more than capable of making a solid instrumental track that fits his vision for the album, and it would've been nice if he could've done the same here. The vocals have admittedly grown on me slightly, and I don't hate them, but I could really do without them. And this seems to be the general consensus.
Still, it's overall another great track from Worlds. Flicker may not be the best track released so far, but it's another solid entry, and another great reason to get excited for that release when it drops in just a few weeks time.
The Octopus' Rating: 6/8
Release Details:
Name: Flicker
Artist: Porter Robinson
Label: Astralwerks
Release Date: 29 July [OUT NOW]
Purchase: iTunes (Album pre-order)
Writer, musician, and all-round top guy. I set up Excited Octopus. Currently, I'm on a one man team. It gets lonely sometimes. But I don't mind, because I love you all.
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