Album Review: Until The Ribbon Breaks-A Lesson Unlearnt
August 4, 2016
There is a lot of music out there and one can discover many types of incredible sounds. If you are one who is interested in hip-hop, electronic, alternative and r&b, then this is the album for you. The music comes from a new trio with a promising career in the music industry. It may be something different and new for some, but others might be able to embrace it. Pete Lawrie-Winfield started off Until The Ribbon Breaks as a side project when in film school at Cardiff, England which emerged with true potential as the single “Pressure” was one that became a song to remember in 2012. As time passed, Winfield and the rest of the trio, Elliot Wall and James Gordon, were able to cooperate with artists such as Lorde, London Grammar, and hip-hop duo Run The Jewels in songs and tours that allowed them to make a name for themselves. These experiences inspired the making of the album A Lesson Unlearnt which Winfield seeked to make with an inspiration revolving around the world of film and noir stories.Until the Ribbon Break’s album cover for “A Lesson Unlearnt” Photo Credits: Getexposedmusic.com,. ‘Get Exposed! Music: CD Review: Until The Ribbon Breaks – “A Lesson Unlearnt” (Kobalt Music)’. N. p., 2015. Web. 1 Oct. 2015.Until The Ribbon Breaks powers through with their debut album A Lesson Unlearnt using elements of hip-hop, electronic, alternative and r&b which combine to make an album that creates an ambient that is dark, but smooth. This is unlike anything that is usually made for music, but it works incredibly in a way that sends a great message with songs that utilize these many elements to its advantage. And even as Until The Ribbon Breaks uses a blend of sounds, they are ultimately making a cohesive album that has vocals that are soft and eerie in a fashion that stick in the mind. More impressive are the instrumentals that creep up in the background creating a harmony that fits the different tones of the alternate styles used throughout the album. I myself even found moments that at first listen seemed to jump around and not make sense, but over time I found that these jumps actually added more to the experience that Winfield and company wanted to create.Winfield describes the experience saying, “I’d shut the sound off, watch the movies, and make music to them. It was everything from David Lynch to Terrence Malick. The mood usurped the narrative and the visuals and music became entwined.” Locked in a state of focus with a film projector, a microphone, and instruments the trio worked day and night to bring upon the fruition of their hard work. Now with a debut album out, it can be seen that the film inspiration behind the music creates something different and stark that is truly special.However, there were a few moments in the album which felt strange and out of place. Not that the songs were bad, but I can recall the album heading in directions that did not connect to other songs. Two good examples of this can be the songs “A Taste Of Silver” and “Perspective”. Let’s talk about the song “Perspective” first. It is one that while good to listen to, its repetitive moments are ones which make the progression feel forced and not natural. Besides, the instrumentals of the song felt as if the beat had been simply put on repeat until the song, and while that may not be a problem for all songs it simply does not work with what was aimed for the song. Moving on, “A Taste Of Silver” is one that felt out of place as it has a tone that is more joyful and pop, unlike the other songs. And even as the song differs from the rest of the album’s structure, I must admit it really is enjoyable. The lyrics by themselves create an imagery that is quite interesting, but the mix of the sounds make the experience feel legitimate. The specific moment would have to be the following:What a pleasure to have let youIn a world as cold as thisWhat a heartbreak, what a sadnessWhat a tragedy in your kissIf you’ve had a taste of silverThen the pennies won’t doIf you’re craving something moreThan what’s been given to youEven with those missable flaws, the rest of the album is able to build up from each song. A transition that truly works is the ending of the song “Pressure” which leads into the following song “Goldfish” in a way that makes them seem as a six minute song. From the fading and abrupt silence of “Pressure” to the buildup of growing sound in “Goldfish”, it seems very significant. The album by the end felt familiar and the songs encompassed what I believe Until The Ribbon Breaks was going for. I must admit that Run The Jewels’ feature felt short, but their presence was there based on the style of the song “Revolution Indifference” that felt like the high point of the album. Overall I have to give the album B+ for its fluidity and powerful instrumentals and lyrical material, but the manner in which elements were experimented with brought the songs “Perspective” and “A Taste Of Silver” to a point that they seemed as part of a different album. Story By: MarioMendezQuote From Interview:Windishagency.com,. ‘The Windish Agency: Until The Ribbon Breaks’. N. p., 2015. Web. 29 Sept. 2015.
