Forest Swords Compassion

Ninja Tune

Compassion is the highly anticipated second album from Merseyside producer Matthew Barnes, otherwise known as Forest Swords. His first record since 2013’s critically acclaimed Engravings and his first for UK stalwart Ninja Tune, Compassion marks the evolution of his distinctive sound. The record is still built on a raw, skeletal and experimental beat-driven aesthetic but finds a more layered and polished feel than his previous output. Grainy textures, scattered field recordings, jangling beats and distorted FX are this time layered over lusher bass, strings, brass, orchestral arrangements and more expressive instruments. This gives the record a more confident and assured feel than we’ve seen from Barnes before, as he sheds the somewhat reductive tag of ‘bedroom producer’. Still full of rustic charm that conveys real beauty in its feel of decay and disintegration, Barnes manages to build something positive and life affirming. Twisted melodies, chopped up vocal effects and luminous synth lines pour unexpected light and colour into the album when it feels it’s at its most fragile and vulnerable, injecting warmth and humility to the otherwise mechanic world he has constructed. Barnes’ deft arrangements on the album give each sound plenty of space, maximising each component’s impact within his intoxicating mix. Unpredictable, individual and idiosyncratic, Compassion highlights the producer’s immense skill at conjuring a diverse and unique sound palette that feels at once organic and otherworldly. With this record, Forest Swords further cements his reputation as one of experimental electronic music’s most authentic and original artists. Tom Jones ADD THESE TO YOUR PLAYLIST: The Highest Flood, Arms Out, Survival| 9/10