The Soon-Another - Autodidact (Review)
Review by Jack Foley
THERE’S plenty to admire in The Soon-Another’s new album, Autodidact, which successfully combines a folky approach to songwriting with the sonic landscape of synth rock.
The brainchild of Adele Fournet and Felipe Wurst (a guitarist known for his versatility), The Soon-Another have been together since 2010, during which time they’ve honed their sound in the Peruvian music scene and now finally delivered their LP.
By Fournet’s own admission, the sound of the album stems from “our mentality of doing everything ourselves and teaching ourselves the stuff we don’t know already, from sound engineering to mixing”. Lyrically, it’s about “the idea of waking up to the way the world is now and saying goodbye to our current culture”.
The result is ambitious and thought-provoking. It’s also high on melody and interesting instrumental arrangements. Sometimes it feels almost prog-rock like, as on the fast-moving Institutionalized, which bursts into sudden moments of rock opera akin to Queen in their prime. And yet it can also revert to the serene within the same track.
It’s at its best and most compelling in its breezier moments, such as Life Is Too Short To Suck, which is alive with cascading piano chords, lush female harmonies and hand-clap beats (it’s as life-affirming as the title suggests) or the harmony-strewn Hogar (which combines languages).
Like You Like, with its toe-tapping hand-clap start and indie guitar vibe, is also a winning entry point.
Elsewhere, more synth-pop moments such as Autodidact have a Shakespeare’s Sister quality (with a dash of No Doubt), while Time Work is a shimmering synth-pop belter of a track that has plenty to say while making you nod along in effortless appreciation.
Hats off to The Soon-Another, they’ve managed to create a sound that is instantly endearing and utterly engaging.
Download picks: Life Is Too Short To Suck, Hogar, Time Work, Like You Like
Listen to Like You Like:
Track listing: