You would have to say that Empty Machines, the current musical vehicle of Glasgow-based artist Thomas Crawford, perfectly encapsulates the potential there is for the modern, open-minded music maker. With the notion of genres now flung to the wind, and with them the expectations of the audience, the sonic world is their oyster, and with such freedom comes the ability to make music like…well, this majestic piece.
“Vicious Vulture” is grounded in alternative rock, but it is the additional sounds and styles it folds around that base that make it so intriguing. Wandering between an almost ambient soundscape and explosive heights, delicacy and density, the song already stands out from most people working in such a space today. Add to that the gradual inclusion of futuristic sonics and timeless arabesque vibes, cinematic sweeps, stamping beats, and eventually swooning, serene gypsy violins, not to mention Jodie Helena’s impressive vocals, the song seems to have it all.
The problem with having it all, though, is finding space for everything, the separation of sound, of piecing it all together so that nothing steps on the others’ toes, so that each instrument, line, or sonic strand is not only contributing to the song’s overall sound but also being heard for what it is. None of this seems to be a problem for Thomas Crawford.
Alt-rock it may be, but it is alt-rock for a new, more creative age and a smarter, more discerning audience; not only that, it embraces and integrates both the old-school analog traditions that such music has always looked to, and the potential of a wide-open digital world. They say that the future is always arriving; well, quite an important slice of it just washed up on our present shores.
Website
Facebook
Soundcloud
YouTube
Instagram
