The Return of Fake Mannequin Is One That Delivers A Lesson In Subtle Sound Sculpting
- BuzzSlayers
- 12 minutes ago
- 3 min read
A new single release from Fake Mannequin is almost like a lesson in sound sculpting, as the track delivers a lot of smooth and vast tonalities, edging on dream pop but still giving that early to mid-90s style alternative approach, with a little bit of drive, a unique Sonic presence, and that cinematic twang that brings everything together.
This is a single that definitely speaks volumes for the project and how they're able to produce tracks that are slightly outside the box and a bit experimental, but still sit in that edgy alternative pop pocket.
Right from the start of the song, you have this sort of edgy semi-glitchy introduction that opens up into this string-like synth and some guitars that feel really distant and in the background, so that ambient aesthetic pretty much comes right in from the top.
The vocals are always gorgeous here. She has such a smooth tone to her voice, and she really respects the song's soundscape and instrumentation, flowing with that natural movement. Her voice is almost like an instrument itself, and she focuses on not just the lyrics but also these amazing melodies with a little bit of a soulful underbelly, and I really found that quite addictive.
Along with these fading strings, rolling 90s-style cinematic beats, and drifting, semi-hunting vocals, you have these guitars that are tremolo effected, and that's where the extra twang comes in.
This is also why it has a bit more of that cinematic feel, too. The guitars play a lot of single notes stuff, but it adds a different layer and texture to the track that brings it depth, and I love the blend of how they take a lot of digital and natural instrumentation and vocals and put them together to create their own sort of atmosphere, because that's really what pulls you in.
It's also a track that sort of grows as it plays through.
The strings are gorgeous here, and they really do an amazing job to add to the progression of the arrangement of the song so that you have that sort of descending melody that comes through.
There are certain sections in the song that break down different elements of it. For example, there are little chunks that just give you the drum beat with a little bit of airy strings in the background, and it's in those moments that you can hear some of the sound sculpting I was mentioning earlier.
It gives a bit more edge, plus they're coated in this reverb-like effect that also makes them feel distant as well. It's not too far back, it's just a little bit wet, so that you have this drippy but edgy, heavy feel.
This, of course, goes with a lot of the other instrumentation and elements of the song, as all of those are sort of wet as well. The strings are, I think, one of the main things that are a little bit drier in terms of using effects.
You don't really need a lot of effect on string sections like this because they're orchestral and they already deliver that depth without having effects on them.
But some of the guitars, some of the other keys, the drums, and even some vocals have different kinds of effects on them, so that the whole song is a little bit moist with this great atmosphere.
The song is called "Silverspoon", and it's definitely not something you want to miss, especially if you dig this kind of stuff.
Some people would consider this to be alternative pop. I would consider it to be a kind of dream and alternative pop mix, while others might think this is more synth pop or even trip-hop-based. The beat definitely gives you some of that trip-hop effect, just sort of slowed down, and in combination with all the great instrumentation and vocals, it lets you get washed away with everything you're given.
This was beautifully done, elegant, sort of graceful, and very engulfing.
But that's the style of Fake Mannequin.
Definitely check this one out as soon as you can, and remember where you heard it first.
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