“From small acorns grow mighty oaks…“
People dream of going away to college, beginning their formative years, learning about what they love. The honeymoon period of beginning to understand what niche you want to build in life, however some do more than just that… Writing the album entirely whilst continuing their studies at the esteemed Berkeley College of Music the band truly are musical prodigies. Opener “Mute” kicks things off to a beautiful cinematic start, encompassing Native Construct’s raison d’etre in one fell swoop. An overture setting the scene for the lavish presentation along with the concept. The musical first step illustrated by a sonic droplet as our journey begins…
Driven by passion, a boy falls in love with a girl. When turned down, our Romeo sets into what descends into an obsession,seeking shelter inside himself the boy creates his own “world” where things are very much quieter. A fantastic concept for a debut album. Reflecting the mature nature of the bands instrumentalists. “The Spark Of Archon”, though admitedly hard to get your head around at first glance amidst the sporadic jazz flurries give way to modern progressive metal groove. However, this has been done a thousand times over by bands all using the same epithet, incorporating the slight atonal melodies of singer Robert Edens, leading into the soaring lead lines gives the album an endearing sense of slight confusion, mirrored by our protagonist.
Contrasted fantastically with the soaring symphonies in the beguiling choruses that pepper Quiet World, we’re effortlessly washed away, temporarily adrift. Utilising various unorthodox instruments, this halcyon state though as beautifully as it was conjured can often be dispelled at a moments notice. Being a progressive album, there is a fantastic nuance towards the build up of song, licks are reiterated slightly differently until the accumulation of the symphonic elements, solo sections and driving riff culminate in a jarring climax. Though Native Construct seem very much opulent with their displays of majestic melodies there lies a more minimalist feel, juxtaposing the two contrasts, deconstructing songs down to their core, revealing they are actually very simple. Nevertheless, don’t be intimidated by the album’s abundant genres.
Guided through this sonic maze is our compare, what sounds like a jewelry box, perhaps illustrating the infancy of the mental state of the protagonist in “Passage”. Echoing similar jester like sound that was synonymous with classic 70’s prog, metaphorically tipping their hat to the classics of Genesis along with perhaps a love letter to Dream Theater’s “Solitary Shell”, do not regurgitate them. Playing with the notion of classic theatre much of the album does read like a play. Particularly the Elfman like introduction of “Passage” Remembering that this is a concept album the record is broken into three “acts”. Though the lyrics in the record is enough to move the story along, moods that our character feels are brilliantly portrayed in the pantomime style of the music . Masked as indecisive genre changes are actually very well thought out pieces to the albums puzzle mirroring our characters confusion.
The fiddler on the roof stylings of “Come Hell Or High Water” give way to Quiet World‘s most “metal” sections, though followed by harmonies reminiscent of classic Queen. Later in the song were treated to yet another side of the band, truly disconcerting carnival/ circus sound, pregnant with mentally unbalanced venom. “Your Familiar Face” iterates the wishful thinking, though the vocal harmonies speak of amorous worlds, it’s presented with slight crooked edge. A volatile sound, that tiptoes around the threat that the tone could change at a moments notice. The final twelve minute epic that is “Chromatic Abberation” sees the joyous melodies explode into one, with playful bass lines in the mid section, to the uproarious summit of the album. Not before returning to the album’s metaphorical coda with the return of our original sonic droplet, a metaphorical full stop, beautifully completing the unorthodox story.
Artists are content with utilising the same colours in their palette. Always working with the same materials,the same colour schemes. Native Construct instead welcome all forms of expression. Dipping their proverbial paintbrush in as many genres as possible to create a unique, lasting and most importantly truly diverse music that will have the listener returning to unlock even more out of the album and taken on the journey of Quiet World again and again.
