By turns satisfyingly complex, irritatingly whimsical and intellectually demanding “These Factory Days” is a complicated album that defies easy judgement. It resonates with echoes of everything from Stereolab and Genesis to Belle and Sebastian via Arcade Fire within the space of a single song. Sometimes I find myself enjoying the singers simple but pleasing voice but at other times they take a kind of euphoric tone that I found disingenuous and irritating. Most of the songs have different movements so you can find yourself really enjoying a song but then suddenly be put out by a transition to something that doesn’t work as well, a process which repeats itself throughout. One thing they can’t be accused of is complacency, because this album is bursting with ideas and excellent musicianship and I think that after repeated listens it will establish itself as an album that somedays you reach for and think “Yes, definitely” and other times you’ll skip because you’re not in the mood. Whichever of these defines your thinking on this album, I would recommend at least one voyage through its shining waters because while you might not like everything it has to say, I’m pretty sure that everyone would find something pleasing in it somewhere.
Kim Monaghan
