A Beginning provides listeners with an introduction into the album’s narratives while layering the vocal content with emotive, new age-inspired keys. The effort provides a microcosm of the distinct styles and approaches that one will find as they continue to progress through Reconstructed Memories. Memory One establishes a keys / strings dynamic that is punctuated through a bit of jangliness that is reminiscent of a locomotive bell. Hints of female vocals straddle the line between atmospheric and choral genres.
I feel that the separation of the album’s 20 tracks into specific segments and snippets is fantastic. The oftentimes shorter run times allow for a crisp composition to hit every marker it needs before ceding ground to the next track. This means that Memory Four can immediately call forth a darker, deeper emotion in its 2:30 length while Reconstruction Two (3:42) is able to switch things up in short order through the presence of warped synths and hints of vocal content. A Blurring has an epic feel to it. The distinct segments present in this track are able to make a cogent whole. Whether it be the opening guitar strains, the animalistic noises, or the calming soundscape playing at the bottom, this cut may just be our favorite throughout the whole of Reconstructed Memories.
A Memorial showcases that things can be fresh and vibrant at the halfway mark. There is a simultaneous promotion of past and present here with church bells and nods to classical music interspersed with modern instrumental styles. A Message is the beginning of the end for Reconstructed Memories. Sublimely confident, Paul K is able to put forth bold keys and haunting vocal elements. Acting as a counterpoint, Regression Three is narrower and focuses on plinking keys and apt repetition of key sections. Taken together, Reconstructed Memories is a heady and fulfilling title that will stick with listeners long after the album ceases to play.
Top Tracks: A Blurring
Rating: 8.3/10
We last covered Paul K back in March, 2018; take a gander at our article about The Fermi Paradox.
Paul K – Reconstructed Memories / 2019 Self Released / 20 Tracks / Domain /