The Flashcards: Roderick Shoolbraid – Ambient Garden One (2023)

70/100

Genre: ambient

Roderick Shoolbraid (British Columbia) weaves synths and noise across 14 tracks. At a glance, some tracks are harsh (such as "Caterpillar" and "Nonagon"), others carry a dark undercurrent ("Dawn of the Children," "Jade Flower Memory Index," and "V"), while some float with a magical atmosphere (for instance, "Beaches," "Flower," and "Stars"). A distinct synthetic touch can be found on "Optical Record Pipe," "Perfumed Letter," and "Stellar."

Despite the large number of tracks and variations that align well with the album's title, I actually found myself feeling a bit overwhelmed and hesitant to pick out any particular favorite track—even though "Waters" closes the album with a definite Bålsam flavor.

Tracklist:

1. Arc

2. Beaches

3. Caterpillar

4. Charlotta

5. Dawn Of The Children

6. Flower

7. Jade Flower Memory Index

8. Nonagon

9. Optical Record Pipe

10. Perfumed Letter

11. Stars

12. Stellar

13. V

14. Waters

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