Final verdict: 9/10 ★★★★⋆˙⟡
Sometimes an album cover makes me excited to listen to an album, only for its title to confuse me as to whether or not I am actually excited to pull the trigger and give the damn thing a listen. Such is the case with Mr. MiLK’s “Platitudinous,” which has an album cover that looks like a relic of the late 90s trip-hop scene and something I would encounter in a tucked-away record store, and a title which implies platitudinousness. I suppose not everything is to be taken at face value, after all.
Yes, ladies and gentlemen. Mr. MiLK is a Las Vegas native and a multi-instrumentalist and music producer who just released what I believe is his 14th LP in 5 years – talk about prolificity! It is entitled “Platitudinous” and it is a collection of instrumental pieces of various calibers. If I had to assign a label to it, I would say it treads the line between electronica and post-rock, dipping its toes into nu-metal sensibilities every now and again.
The album starts off strong with title track “Platitudinous,” a rocker that alternates between big-energy sections and quieter, more texture-oriented movements. Right off the bat, I was surprised by the production quality on this bad boy – Mr. MiLK’s got it goin’! The subsequent “Another Greenery” and “Fallen Foliage” carry that torch as well, until “Dust” switches it up in favor of a more sound collage and ambient-informed approach.
“Kindle” closes off the first half of the album with yet another big, dynamic rocker in the same vein as the title track, and it is a fit primer for what is to follow – a varied, well-paced gallery of what sounds to be a marriage between electronic textures and arena rock. My favorite track off this stretch of the album is “From a Distance,” which is a pretty tune led by sparkly synths and gated drums that harken back to the early days of the drum machine. I also quite enjoyed “Failure to Comply,” which cranks the energy up to 11, offering a nice contrast to the rest of the album’s B-side up until that point.
Funnily enough, the album’s closer, “Shred,” is the most contemplative and solemn track on “Platitudinous” by a long shot – there is no shredding to be found here. The true shredder is penultimate track “Disordinance,” which features a huge, anthemic break strategically placed right in the middle of the piece – that one is another personal favorite.
Mr. MiLK has an interesting sound carrying his work, and through crafting and releasing 13 whole albums prior to “Platitudinous,” it is sure that he has honed his craft to a laudable degree. This album offers a thrilling listening experience, yet it does not rely on a gimmick for that purpose. Preposterous, but not platitudinous by any measure. 9/10.
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