Palaces is the perfect evolution of Flume’s sound. The Australian act leans even more into his vibrant and abstract sound design when it comes to certain records.
As with a lot of Flume’s work as of late, his harder and more experimental of sounds is features across many tracks. On the other end of the spectrum is his more radio friendly works, such as ‘Say Nothing’ and ‘Hollow’.
Palaces began to take shape when Flume returned to his native Australia after struggling to write music in Los Angeles at the beginning of the pandemic. He settled in a coastal town in the Northern Rivers region of New South Wales and soon found inspiration through reconnecting with the nature around him. He and his neighbor and longtime collaborator, the visual artist Jonathan Zawada, became fascinated by the local wildlife, collecting field recordings that ended up on the album.
The exploration of sound is felt throughout the 46 minute album. Flume does his best to showcase a range of vibrant and unique works and should be happy with the result.
Compared with previous records, Palaces may not pack as much commercial appeal, but that doesn’t take away from the overall quality of the package.
