Near the Parenthesis - Of Soft Construction

Shoegazer electronica can be hard to grab a handle on – it’s soothing, thought provoking, sometimes exciting, often beautiful – but it also has a very strong tendency towards inoffensive mildness, and Near The Parenthesis is no exception. Of Soft Construction exhibits all of the above qualities by the bucketload, but ultimately this is finely crafted background music. The melodies are gorgeous when they drift in and out, the drum programming is superb - albeit buried deep in the mix - and the instrumentation is stirring. But, as a whole, Of Soft Construction is almost non-descript. Fans of lackadaisical sleepy pre-glitch will cream themselves - this is the perfect post-modern dinner party soundtrack.