Policy Overkill - Smile

Hear The Track Here

Even though - after the last review - I have learned not to call this artist Project Overkill, I am still sorely afflicted. So if I happen to say something along the lines of 'and Policy Roadkill dropped a right bollock there' let it be understood as a sign of my continuing verbal deterioration and descent into a bitter and twisted old age. Anyway, to business! The Stomp Dance (June 2006) interested me because of it's retro feel, not enough admittedly to wholeheartedly recommend it but enough to find interesting. Wonder (August 2006) was however, certainly good enough for a recommendation, a surprise considering it's Electronica: Ambient genre placing.

Yep, a eureka moment, right enough.

Smile though falls into my least favourite sub genre: techno, but trying to put my predjudice aside... Even Policy Ro... errr Overkill baldly states that this track is 'dreary, repetitive, minor key' and although that may well be a technical description, the almost six minutes of its length passes relatively easily. Despite, I might add a basic, static production that does nothing whatsover to shape the sound. Quite why that is I have no idea but it doesn't help this song at all. Because the track relies on the sounds it contains (and this does contain some very pleasant and intriguing sounds) I feel a little more time could have been spent scrubbing them up a bit more.

Pretty much middle based without much in the way of meaningful bass or high end doesn't really suit music of this type. The very best techno is full spectrum stuff with as much attention paid to the beat sounds as the instrumental selections. All of which is not to say that Smile is not a good track. On the contrary it's a reasonably pleasant little tune that - with a little more work - may actually turn into something. It may well work better with a vocal maybe? Anyfekkinhoo, it is a decent slice of the lighter side of electronica and if you already like the genre you'll be quids in. Goth Techno? I don't think so, it's waaaayy to light for the Misery Brigade. It's also a surprisingly pretty tune considering its genre.