Secret life

"With intensity and density maxed out, [Fred Gibson's] work can be brilliant (...) [and] he often writes bright, insidious melodies. With Eno, that intensity dial is turned all the way down, and with it, the heat and entropy that makes his work hum. It's horribly revealing of both men's weaknesses. Eno's contributions are witlessly unimaginative".

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"This surprise album - despite its frequent beauty - works best as a puzzle piece rather than a standout record in its own right".

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"Secret Life is immaculately produced (...) but lacks the communal spirit that made Actual Life feel fresh and accessible. The most exciting element of the Fred again.. project is Gibson's magpie approach to gathering samples and the deceptive ease with which he deploys them. Any audio clip that crosses Gibson's social media feed may end up in his mixes, creating the illusion of a party that anyone can join. Eno has cordoned off this egalitarian free-for-all and turned it into a museum exhibit where somber whispers are more appropriate than joyful shouts. Many hallmarks of corporate ambient are here: slowly decaying piano notes, time-stretched vocals, lazily strummed acoustic guitar, and hazy synths, all wrapped in rustling static. There are moments when these elements come together beautifully, as with the nostalgic dreamscape that surrounds Lola Young's soaring vocals on "Trying." At other times, Fred again..'s songcraft struggles, and fails, to break through".

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