Growing: All the Way

All the Way, Growing's second superb release of 2008, is measurably better than its predecessor, Lateral. Whereas Lateral was droning and austere, All the Way is more rhythmic. In a sense, the newest release is the closest thing to a pop record Growing will ever release. Repeating, arpeggiated sequences of notes sculpt something almost resembling a song, as if an extraterrestrial civilization had attempted to reconstruct music from Earth using only parts from Voyagers I and II. As the century unfurls, All the Way will either be a weird but beautifully accessible standout or the template for the pop music that follows.

Growing: Lateral

Lateral is one of the most interesting avant-garde/noise releases to come out in the past few years. Static, distortion and rhythmic noise stay mostly at the top of the mix, while a distant echo of a pastoral melody slowly emerges from the foam. Listening to the whole record in one sitting is a bit like being in a sensory deprivation chamber. It's easy to let stray thoughts latch onto a single element and get pulled along with the music. At about twenty minutes, this album is just about the perfect length. Whereas other recordings with similar ambitions start to sag in the first few minutes, Lateral leaves the listener feeling like no time has passed at all.