Search - Broken Spindles :: Fulfilled: Complete

Fulfilling and complete

E. A Solinas | MD USA | 07/19/2004

(5 out of 5 stars)

"Joel Peterson is from the Faint, but don't think that his projects end there. He is also the heart and soul of Broken Spindles, a more delicate and distant sound that still manages to be catchy. Sophomore album "Fulfilled: Complete" refines Peterson's sound further, with a mix of gritty rock and delicate melody, all wrapped together in an electronica burrito."Induction" opens up the album on a light, airy note, followed by the harder, classical/techno "Fall In And Down On." A delicate piano melody drives "Song No Song" and the soaring "Practice Practice Preach," while an exotic indie-rock flavor imbues "To Die For Death" and the offbeat, infectious "Italian Wardrobe." After the quietly sputtery "Harm," the album ends on a panoramic note with the soaring "The Dream."Side projects can be either pretentious and self-serving, or a beautiful expression of the artist's unfulfilled creativity. Broken Spindles is the latter. It's a thoroughly enjoyable experience from beginning to end, and an increasingly addictive marriage of electronic dance beats, filtered vocals and some wicked string action.Peterson's vocals are distant and cloaked in computer sound, like a part of the electronica. And the lyrics are similarly melded in, to the point where you just stop listening to the words and listen to the sound. The rich instrumentation is what makes "Fulfilled: Complete" spring to life. Synths cause sputtering static, ghostly keens, and background blips andSome solid electric guitar adds a rock edge to the music. And of course, the more classical instruments. The gritty dance-rock is given an elegant edge with the swelling violins that swell up and away, and a cello makes an appearance as well. The most prominent is the piano, adding a hesitant, crystal-clear sound to the quieter songs."Fulfilled: Complete" is an excellent sophomore for Joel Peterson, who retains his unique sound while expanding his musical horizons. A uniformly excellent piece of work."