The oft-repeated axiom that Matthew Herbert’s production manifestos obscure the brilliance of his material doesn’t quite apply to Scale. Where works like techno classic Around the House and anti-capitalist call to arms Plat du Jour defined themselves through meticulously plotted themes, Scale leaves academic technique in the background. Perhaps the album’s most refreshing components are its rich orchestration and the emotive neo-soul of longtime partner Dani Siciliano. In a typically well-spoken interview, the artist references Quincy Jones; though it seems illogical at first mention, one can’t help but recall the pinpoint brilliance of ‘Rock With You’-era Michael Jackson during the disco jumper ‘Moving Like a Train’. More compact than the well-meaning but stiff Goodbye Swingtime, Scale ultimately recalls Herbert’s previous zenith, Bodily Functions, and despite a focus which wanes slightly over the album’s second half, it ranks among his best.
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