Christ. - Distance Lends Enchantment to the View

Some people struggle to shake off an association. There are those who pander to the expectation that comes with that association, and there are others (Christ. sitting firmly in this camp) who try their damnedest to distance themselves. It’s a bummer then that on his latest LP he’s never sounded so much like former bandmates, and permanent millstone around his neck, Boards of Canada. From the sun-kissed artwork to the oddly sad chiming synths that open the album, Distance… all but abandons the tenebrous rumble and heavy production practices found on 2007’s excellent Blue Shift Emissions in favour of more laid-back, lo-fi ambient electronica. The buzzing frequencies on standout track Event Horizon They Waited and the creepily atomised vocal samples that pop up on Harbin Ice are reminiscent of the insidious atmosphere he’s known for - but too often it descends into BOC-lite. There’s plenty here for a fan to love, but newcomers might be advised to start elsewhere.