The debut album from Perth alt-rock quintet Blackmilk has been three years in the making. In Lak’ech (pronounced "In Lakesh" - an old Mayan greeting which translates to "I am another version of you") is a particularly ambitious self-produced debut which highlights the band’s moody blues undercurrent. However, it also draws attention to the difficulties the band face in maintaining momentum; any noticeable energy tends to be drowned by the group’s atmospheric sound.
Perhaps the album’s potency appears to wane because its opener, instrumental title track “In Lak’ech”, is extremely promising. Tight Radiohead-esque percussion is layered with equally jumpy guitar riffs and swelling keyboard lines.
What results is a hypnotic yet energetic sound seen only in fragments on the rest of the album, and it is these fragments which stand out in the album’s progression. The expressive blues of “Mercy Ray” fall into a wall of spacey psychedelia, James Sherry’s sharp vocal tones complimenting the sense of desperation the track fosters.
Another highlight is the album’s closer, “Ambrosia”. A dark trip-hop rhythm is quickly smothered by melancholic guitar arpeggios, Sherry exclaiming "Are you prepared for what’s ahead? We feed off the light".
There is something quite strange about this track though - it oscillates between optimism and pessimism, as if second-guessing itself for being so up front. This reluctance, which stems from the band’s relaxed bluesy sound, renders much of the album as slow and heavy.
The lethargic progression of “Metharia” and “Pyhtia” help to establish the overall tone of the album as reflective, and almost sorrowful at times. This tone is hit-and-miss in terms of its effectiveness, and the young band risk sounding like a group simply going through the motions.
While the often gentle tones of Blackmilk are quite accessible, they are rarely uplifting or unique. Despite being excellently produced, In Lak’ech lacks any truly memorable hooks or melodies.
Rather, it relies on atmosphere to establish the band’s aesthetic. What results is an album which requires a lot of patient listening, with this patience only being rewarded in short, temporary fragments.
Review Score: 5.8 out of 10.
