Released in 2012, Visions marked Canadian electronic solo artist Grimes first record while in the spotlight, and her third full album release since she broke into fame in 2010/2011. The album, according to Grimes, was written over three weeks, with the recording session lasting 9 days without sleep or food, and a “ton of amphetamines”. While recording, she became convinced her music was “channelling God”.
Tracklist:
- Infinite Love without Fulfilment - Mellow opener compared to rest of album, love the vocals, very ethereal sounding and a great introduction to the way Grimes does her vocals.
- Genesis - The most streamed song on the album, but surprisingly not my favourite, although I can see why it would be popular. V. memorable hook and great beat. Chorus and bridges are both extremely catchy, and evoke a feeling of something futuristic and almost inhuman.
- Oblivion - Easily my favourite song on the album. Pure vibes. Unmistakable bassline opening, with Grimes’ classic ethereal, almost out of breath falsetto vocals. Lyrics are probably meaningful, but I was too busy vibing to comprehend them. Ultimate “walking alone through a cyberpunk city” song.
- Eight - Definitely one of the more avant-garde songs on the album, Simpler beat, and I found the backing “try this” sample a bit to repetitive. I could definitely see this as a cool-down song in a set though.
- Circumambient - Almost Aphex Twin like in the opening, who the name may be a reference to. It somehow then pivots to more electronic sounding, with the synth lead and drums reminding me of a Deadmau5 deep cut at times. Vocals are echoey and head-filling. Lyrics somehow don’t fit with the feeling of the song.
- Vowels = Space and Time - Maybe the most “pop” sounding song on the album. Vocals are very 2010s pop, but with a Grimes twist.
- Visiting Statue - Another quieter song. The looping lyrics feel like a round at times, but are nevertheless still compelling. The lyrics continue the album’s theme of the human body, with even the album cover calling reference to this, a human skull featured prominently on the front.
- Be a body - Continues this theme, with the titular lyric “be a body”, almost sounding like a mantra, Grimes having to remind herself to be present and human, with contradictory lyrics such as “I close my eyes until I see”, “I lean on walls until I stand”, sounding like she is losing sight of what it is to be human, leading to the climax of the song where she questions “So then, what am I?”. Apart from the lyrics, I loved the pumping synth lead in the opening, which slowly gives way to a funky drum beat.
- Symphonia IX (My Wait is U) - Loved the pumping kick in the opening, and the whole thing sounds like it was made for a quieter singalong in a festival or concert.
- Nightmusic - A bit of a departure from the soundscape that the previous songs were building up, with a more traditional electronic beat, but Grimes trademark vocal style manages to endure. I especially loved the backwards vocals in the middle and end of the song, almost alien sounding.
- Skin - Penultimate song on the album, and a return to that theme of post-humanism. Lyrics such as “You touch me within / And so I know I could be human once again” are a natural resolution to this journey of finding oneself. However, they feel weirdly sensual for this album, a theme shared by the entire song, which sounds like a robotic slow funk beat.
- Know the Way - A short closer for this record, and another quiet song. The lyrics seem hopeful, with Grimes singing “I know the way”, and “I can believe in me”. This truly feels like Grimes taking a hopeful look forward.
Final Thoughts
Overall, this is one of Grimes best sounding albums, and still holds up to this day, more than a decade on. Her early albums felt like they were made in a bedroom by a college student, although this was her main strength. In an interview, Grimes put it best herself, “Not knowing how to play music is my greatest asset”. Although it has its low points, with some songs getting a bit stale and repetitive at times, this album still feels like a perfect evolution of her sound, still retaining that avant-garde, experimental feel, while bumping the production value to create a truly cohesive record that takes you on a journey from post-technological maximalism to a more down-to-earth hopeful future.
favourite tracks: Oblivion, Circumambient, Be a body, Genesis