Album Review: Pord - Wild

Music is, in essence, the art of carefully controlling noise. In the massive spectrum of audible sounds, we have singled out the ones that are pleasing to us, and those are used as the basis for everything we choose to pour into our ears. The fact that it is still noise is forgotten, unless we are griping about a style of music we don't enjoy.

 Noise is an integral part of our lives, whether the blight of urban sound pollution, the beauty of music, or the discordant sound of hearing our own voice. It is in that light that a genre of music that calls itself 'noise rock' shouldn't come across as a surprise. Rock music is noise, so the only thing separating the forms is how much of the ambient nature of music is insulated and kept away, so we can pretend that studio magic is reality.

Pord is a French noise rock band, a genre which I don't believe I have ever written about. It is also a genre which I am not familiar with, which makes this review a learning experience for everyone.

“Staring Into Space” opens the record with a droning guitar riff, buoyed by the saturated guitar tone. When the instruments press for a bit more attack, there's a wonderful amount of warmth to the distortion, which keeps the music from entering that space where it sounds inhuman. There's not much to the song in the way of structure, with the majority of the composition being repetitions of that single motif, and a few pieces of lead guitar and vocals thrown on top. The aggressive moments of the song are the strongest, and show a striking amount of polished grime.

“I'm Swimming Home” doesn't deviate from that formula, with one or two basic riffs, and a few seconds of softer strange noises between repetitions. That is the modus operandi of the record, one that can work if the material is strong enough. Unfortunately, the riffs that Pord insists on repeating are not interesting enough to warrant the almost drone approach. The noise collage is not layered enough to expose new details each time it cycles through, while the riffs themselves are not sharply focused enough to survive being played so often. Part of that is the function of noise rock, which would seem allergic to those sorts of riffs, but without a layered underbelly, the standard riffs feel hollow and empty.

The best thing the record has going for it is the production, which is not dense in terms of sound, but is rich in terms of style. The recording is raw, but the tones of every instrument work together to form the wash of soft distortion that noise rock desperately requires. The actual sound of the album is pleasing, and an invitation into a world of music that can very often be difficult to access. This is one place, as well, that the monotone barking style of vocals is appropriate, as they fade into the sound-scape as another function of the noise wash.

While the record does have all of that going for it, there are still the issues of the very nature of noise rock to consider. This is not music that is concerned with sharp songwriting, so sitting through the album is not for those with short attention spans. It is easy to drift away, only to find that two songs have passed you by. There's little about the album that grips you and makes you want to pay attention to every second.

What I would say about “Wild” is that it's a beautifully produced piece of noise rock, but it is too fitting of the conventions. If this album had broken free and turned the ragged sound free on some stronger songwriting, it would have been an interesting and engaging listen. It didn't do that, so it's a record that I see getting drowned out by its own obsession with noise.

 

Chris C

Music Reviewer

Chris is a professional intellectual. He graciously shares his deep thoughts on the world of music with the world. You're welcome.