Public Memory
Felte
2016-03-18
Wuthering Drum is a moody, cinematic collection of ambient electronic music by Brooklyn-based Public Memory. Bass synth droning throughout, most tracks take a foundation of low-tempo garage breaks and add a flourish of grungy, modal chords changes and gothic, Yorke-esque vocals. While relatively restricted and one-note throughout, the homemade feel of the result — with its hazy mix of dirty, live drums and samples — preserves its originality. When Public Memory do what they do well, as on album opener, “Heir” and early single, “Lunar”, the experience can be darkly immersive and promising, if not quite groundbreaking.