Are You Earthed?

Appliance
Mute Records
General | Apr 2003

Reviews

Gabe
Reviewed 2003-06-26
The tick-tock of mechanical rhythms set to medium tempos, warm Moog synth and bass textures, some 808 squiggles, and plaintive, unadorned vocals - that's the Appliance formula (despite the press release's claim that "a guitar and drum kit once dominated"), that's what they deliver here. I don't detect a lot of artistic growth in Appliance over the past few albums but where they're at is not a bad place. It's pleasant, mildly sedative music.

1. "Please stay the same" lyric might be their own band philosophy in song!
2. Chunky, muscular bass line
3. Swinging the other way from the previous track, we have a mushy track that ambles along
4. So calming I'm falling asleep reviewing it
5. Homage to the Who's "Who Are You" - check the melody and the stuttery synth
6. Unremarkable
7. Some pep in this step, a funky little march
8. Doped recitation of lyrics over an ultra-mellow backing
9. Pretty guitar filigrees and a lightweight kuchu-kuchu rhythm
10. Slow, sweet, lazy tune; the sharp guitar chords in the middle punctuate it nicely
11. "Switch off the gravity / I'm leaving"; gorgeous tension between wanting to fly free and being "earthed"

Recent airplay

Go Native
Music CasseroleApr 09, 2011
Go Native
Bite and HideAug 13, 2003
Go Native
Civil SocietyJul 24, 2003
Tuesday Is Nearly Over
Off the PathJul 24, 2003
Go Native
Bite and HideJul 23, 2003
Go Native
Radio Red WellJul 21, 2003

Charting

2003-07-21 — 2003-09-22
Week EndingAirplays
Aug 17 1
Jul 27 4

Track listing

1. Tuesday Is Nearly Over
2. Go Native
3. Fruits of the Sea
4. Mountains I
5. As Far As I Can See
6. Violins
7. The Blue Rider
8. 88
9. Boats
10. Mountains Ii
11. Are You Earthed?