SPILL ALBUM REVIEW: IMMERSION – WTF??

IMMERSION
WTF??
SWIM~

Immersion consists of Wire’s Colin Newman, and his wife Malka Spigel (Minimal Compact), and WTF?? is their fourth studio and first full-length album since 2016’s Analogue Creatures Living On An Island. Matt Schulz (Holy Fuck) joins them on this album, and the trio have come up with an incredible album. This is electronic music combined with rock. The end result is their own style which does defy classification. When the needle is placed on this record, one is promised an unpredictable, yet fascinating, journey. This is top notch music, layered with sounds and different ideas that keep one glued to the headphones.

The album opens with instrumental “Defiance” which has driving electronic beats. It is not dark EDM, but it is not feel-good pop either. In fact, some of the most interesting tracks are instrumental (“It’s A Long Way To Brooklyn” is a fascinating song). But when there are vocals, it is pure magic. Listen to Spigel’s voice with “Timeline.” Her cold vocals are stirring and when Newman joins in to speak with the listener, everything fits together perfectly, and he is quite funny and poignant in this song. Newman’s vocals with a song like “Use It Don’t Lose It” are quite wonderful as well. “How To Be” is another opportunity for Newman to have a conversation, this time with Spigel. And when they move into singing, one experiences one hell of a brilliant melody.

WTF?? is not a hard album musically, it is electronic and has some heavy beats (“Change Of Use” for example), but it is not hard-driving electronica. It does have one foot in nostalgia, especially with the older synth sounds, but the music and overall sound are years ahead. Lyrically, while there are observances of the world, it is still a rather positive album. The album ends with an instrumental, “On The Longest Day,” that hovers around drone music and is very meditative. It is a perfect closer. Lyrically, they point out the issues facing us all in 2025, and basically asking the musical question, ‘what the fuck?’ It is not void of humour, but it is a serious album that asks the hard questions and offers suggestions for, maybe, a better way of life for us all.

As with most projects by Immersion, WTF?? is best enjoyed as one piece. In other words, start at the beginning and stay with it. It is well worth the ride. Guitars flow in and out with synthesizers and programming, and throughout one will experience incredible calm, and then feel immediately agitated. Spigel and Newman’s vocals blend together, and the use of alternating lead vocals is brilliant as each voice has a strong and unique delivery.

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