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keeper avg .111
Lovers of The Soft Bulletin need to face the fact that the band has left that formula behind. Picking up where At War With The Mystics left off, Embryonic continues to prioritize sonic experimentation over melody. The arrangements of "Convinced Of The Hex", "See The Leaves","Sagittarius Silver Announcement", and "Watching The Planets" include simple angular melodies over monotonous riffs. "Aquarius Sabotage" places noise and flourishes over mad rocking over a couple chords, while "Powerless" seems more of an improvised instrumental. Lush instrumentation does show up in spots, usually as a resolution to a minimalist arrangement, as in "Evil" and "Scorpio Sword", and some, like in "Gemini Syringes"**** are alone worth the price of admission. On the other hand, the inclusion of Karen O literally phoning in silly animal noises on "I Can Be A Frog" is amusing to hear once, but hardly as noteworthy as its mention in every review suggests. Practically the only fully realized song, "Silver Trembling Hands"**** wisely counters tense, minimalist verses with open, lush choruses. It's simple but it's amazing how little it takes to stand out from the rest of this confusing album.
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