Lux Interior
'The Future Crayon' is a collection of EPs and stand alone tracks used on compilations that Broadcast have released over the last ten years.
Birmingham based Broadcast are probably best described as an electronica outfit with a good dose of ambience; they mix in other elements at times but the focus is always around distinctive samples and keyboards. Trish Keenan's vocals are gentle and lavish throughout and really make most of the tracks included here; they have an almost ethereal quality about them that is luxurious and compelling. They are never forced and just roll along like a slow but constantly flowing river and they really are quite intoxicating.
Opening tracks 'Illumination' and 'Still Feels Like Tears' are differing in pace and were released three years apart but they set Broadcast's stall out well. Whatever period the tracks on this collection come from they all share the same distinctive style of Broadcast. Many of the tracks have quite a dark and mysterious feel to them but occasionally there are uplifting moments such as 'Where Youth and Laughter Go', which play much more on the 60's influence. This is a great track that seems to capture the essence of that psychedelic period and mix it with modern production without spoiling it. 'One Hour Empire' on the other hand, whilst continuing the 60's feel is much harsher, more reminiscent of bands like The Electric Flag and their random guitar parts.
The majority of the tracks are under five minutes in length, which work really well for this type of music; they never become boring but create a very relaxed feel throughout. There are some weaker tracks like 'Locust' and 'Minus Two', which don't really flow as well as other tracks or create the same feel but these are certainly in the minority. Tracks like 'Dave's Dream' lend themselves perfectly to soundtracks and illustrate that whilst all the tracks have a similar feel to them, they are quite broad in their scope, which makes this collection anything but boring.
Beautiful chord changes, lavish production and some really excellent tracks make 'The Future Crayon' a great album that presents a cross section of Broadcast's material over the last decade. Although this isn't a greatest hits album, if you've never heard Broadcast before this is a pretty good place to start and will undoubtedly lead to you checking out the rest of their back catalogue.