Bryce Linde, otherwise known as the electronic crafting musician Fortune Howl, draws his latest album from cosmic forces and extraterrestrial influences from a planet far away. Earthbound brings together placid rhythms and a collage of throbbing electronic beats to conjure a mildly sensual state of mind. Fortune Howl deliberately touches upon almost every emotion and leaving very few soundscapes unexplored.
The initial track, "Edit Me," addresses concerns Linde has with the complicated structures of many of his songs by inherently telling listeners to take a jab if they could do a better job. "A Terrible Machine" is a trippy, multifaceted song packed with coarse synths and galvanizing beats. Linde's vocals flourish by skipping lightly over tiers of blazing electronics, mild EDM and hip-hop elements. "Vision Quest," which is Fortune Howl's latest single, lacks any form of dialect or speech yet also hinders unpleasant feelings and allows calming sensations to tail in its place. The rhythmic rattles and off-kilter vocals in "Interzone Export" lend the track that "other worldly" effect Linde was shooting for with Earthbound.
After an exciting beginning the momentum flat lines into an unimpressing second half of an album. The meticulously designed instrumentals Linde worked out during the first few songs disappears with the drowsy, lackluster "Echo the Sun." The same can be said for "Plastic Eyes" except this track also unfortunately added indistinguishable vocals. "Whatever Ghost" would benefit from stripping away some of the track's most evident elements such as the elongated background vocals and cluttered beats.
Some of the vocal melodies on Earthbound are captivating, but it's the patchwork of punchy bass lines, synths, white noise and polished pop rhythms that leave Fortune Howl's biggest mark. His album falters halfway through and leaves much to be desired, however, his perplexing arrangements give hope for a possible comeback with his next attempt.
Grade: C
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