Angelo Harmsworth - Playground Barriers 7.7

                Angelo Harmsworth makes good, warm, tactile drone music. Each one of these pieces positively glistens with the grit and sweat of taped drones. While it first seems like something to keep in the background, Playground Barriers draws you in with its charms. Perhaps it is the dense sound that gives way to sweet, hidden melodies, or just the general smudge-y quality of the audio itself, but it brings you into this world. 

                Playground Barriers has strong connections to psyched-out rock. Some of these songs scream across the speakers, such as the epic closer ‘Nice Attempts’ which enjoys simply sprawling out in terms of sheer length (it is the longest piece on here) and size (it does get quite loud). Other drone pieces with a similar level of volume and rock indebtedness would be the fantastically distorted ‘Disconnect The Lower Part Of Me’ which swims around in near noise, and ‘Created Distance’, the latter of which reminds me strongly of Tim Hecker’s gauzy soundscapes. 

                The title track is a rather mild introduction to the album. It serves as a template for things to come. With a lower volume and considerably less distortion, it introduces the sorts of themes and melodies present throughout the work. And ‘Margaret’ is the lowest fidelity track on here. It sounds like it was recorded in somebody’s house, right down to the ambient noise of a truck driving away. Actually I like how tangible this track sounds, it is surprisingly sweet. 

                Since I see snow on the ground, and welcome more snow in the near future, this goes well with the sound of the heating in my building. It lets me know I’m not alone in this coldness, warmth exists in these drones.