Four Tet
Pause

It was Josi, with a comment on the Sessions by Kruder and Dorfmeister, who inspired me to listen to Kieran Hebden + Steve Reid (whose album will be my next target).

Thus, I inevitably came to know about Hebden’s past musical experiences, already a member of "Fridge," then the sole mind behind the "Four Tet" brand under which he released several albums, two of which, "Rounds" and "Everything Estatic," were already reviewed on DeBaser.

Now confident and fortified by the Hebden+Reid Sessions, I begin listening to this "Pause," and am immediately enthralled by one of the most beautiful and profound tracks of the album "Glue of the World"... a song I am sure I’ve heard several times before, which now gets indelibly printed in my brain... too vivid and pure! After pressing "repeat" three or four times, I decide to move on and despite Kieran doing his best, my brain struggles to detach from the "glue of the world"... passing through "Twenty Three", beyond the beautiful and skillful rhythm, I find samples of tubular bells, perhaps partially reused for the stunning "Morning Prayer", in the Sessions with Steve Reid, but despite this, the approval rating continues to rise steadily.

As we proceed, the tones of the album change and become more direct, see for example the tapping foot Techno-style of "Untangle" which, mixed with harp arpeggios (experimented here for the first time, as well as the guitar ones), not only pleases the ear but also lifts the mood.
A slight turn towards Post-Rock rhythms enriched by very expressive guitar and piano further confirms that "Everything is allright", so the listening flows smoothly leaving a bittersweet aftertaste and a strong desire to restart the auditory experience from the beginning... even though it is worth reaching the end, where unexpectedly awaits "You Could Ruin My Day", beautiful both in form and substance (musically speaking, that is:).

What to say in conclusion? Finding albums of this caliber and able to convey so many sensations "thanks" to the absence of lyrics does not happen every day... Kieran demonstrates great musical ear and sensitivity and fortunately does not necessarily experiment along paths already treaded by others, even though all this is relative, as his compositional ability would nonetheless glue one to the listening. A generally varied and heartfelt album then, this "Pause," full of pure, ecstatic atmospheres, capable of reconciling heart and mind, yes, this is the ideal definition...

Obviously a "must" (like all his discography, after all) for those like me who live by these sounds and an excellent record for anyone else... nothing more to add. Ah, the rating would be a 4.5, but knowing you all by now, you won’t blame me for rounding up ;) Byez