Making Mirrors

by Karpediem

In the indie album "Making Mirrors", Gotye, a Belgian-born Australian musician, courses through so many styles and instruments that it's hard to categorize this album as distinctly "indie". The tracks here range from reggae to Motown-influenced, from 80s rock to contemporary Nine-Inch Nails-ish garage electronica. This album is also particularly notable for the catchy basslines that run throughout.

Standout tracks include 3, 6, 7, 10, 12. No FCCs Detected.

1) Making Mirrors (1:01)- Spectral, slow, bass-heavy introductory track.
2) Easy Way Out (1:57)- upbeat track with catchy riff.
**3) Somebody That I Used to Know (4:04)- Slow tempo song about a man brooding on his breakups. Chorus reminds me of Sting. Addition of female guest Kimbra midway through the song is a huge positive.
4) Eyes Wide Open (3:11)- Fast pace of the song set by a strong, consistent drumbeat. Feels like it could be featured in the soundtrack to an 80s action movie in the final climactic scene.
5) Smoke and Mirrors (5:13)- Slower song with wide variety of instrumentation and interesting lyrics. The "mother are you watching" bridge at around 3:15 is particularly compelling. Beginning of the song is reminiscent of Black Keys.
**6) I Feel Better (3:18)- Could have been produced in Motown. Very upbeat, fun track filled with horn fanfares and tambourine hits.
**7) In Your Light (4:39)- Fast-tempoed song with a heavy Gospel influence.
8) State of the Art (5:22)- Great bassline, reggae feel, vocals are so heavily manipulated that I'm not even sure it's the same singer as on the rest of the album. Track may be too long to play given its bizarreness but I enjoy it (maybe give it a listen to judge for yourself first before choosing to air)
9) Don't Worry, We'll Be Watching You (3:18)- Slow track with another fantastic bassline.
**10) Giving Me a Chance (3:07)- Slow Intimate piece with great synth sounds.
11) Save Me (3:53)- Mid-tempo, thankful track with soothing background singers.
**12) Bronte (3:18)- Slow track, very focused around vocals/drums. Ties the album together nicely with lyrics proclaiming "we will be with you"