2019. Nu Electro. Buoys takes a different approach, stripping the instrumentation almost to nothing and forgoing the overt warmth of the lingering note. In these songs, which have a stark, brittle quality that feels very "digital," theres barely anything moving. The primary instrument on Buoys is acoustic guitar, which is not a new thing for Lennox. In the middle of the last decade, Lennox used acoustic guitars on records like Sung Tongs and Young Prayer like an extension of his body, creating a drone effect that sounded more like breathing. But the acoustic guitar on Buoys doesnt sound played, exactly-its more a device for sending ripples of chords across the stereo field at regular intervals, or else short, declarative chops of rhythm. It sounds disembodied. Just a handful of sounds make up the production for the album (along with guitar, there are assorted gurgles and laser sounds, a few drum breaks, some deep bass throbs, and not much else), which makes for an unusually unified listen.
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