Virginia Wing immediately catch attention with their new take on electronic experimentation. Following up their 2014 album Measures of Joy, Forward Constant Motion is a juxtaposition of Alice Merida Richards’ delicate vocals alongside glitch beats and noisy synth. Choruses that are very almost catchy are switched up by punches of percussion or layer on layer of airy synthesiser.

Forward Constant Motion is one for fans of Grimes who were slightly disappointed with the more squeaky-clean approach taken on Art Angels. Virginia Wing have pushed for something unique and, although it’s not an easy listen, the ethereal, vaguely puzzling sound pays off at times.

However, something about the album falls short, perhaps just because the surface is difficult to break through, or because the vocals don’t pack the same punch as the gritty instrumentation. At times, Forward Constant Motion can sound like a marginally depressed musical robot.

That’s not to say that the album doesn’t have its merits. Highlights come from the more upbeat introductory tracks ‘Lily of Youth’ and ‘ESP Offline’. Parts of the album play with steel drum sounds that could be likened to Jamie XX’s In Colour, if Jamie XX did a tonne of acid and decided his music was too easy to listen to. On the other hand, the stripped-back, emotional lament ‘Sonia & Claudette’ immediately stands out, singing of a wistful hopelessness: “I thought I could always trust my thoughts / but it seems I keep drifting aimlessly”.

What could be an average electronic indie-pop album is turned on its head by a timbre that’s rare in its genre, almost reminiscent of vintage dance music. Forward Constant Motion is difficult to get to grips with, but certainly an interesting listen.

Isobel Moloney

(Image: Brooklyn Vegan)