2013-12-08 4:20:00 ¶ ●

RATING: 7 / 13 – A bit tender for my liking.

Genre varies wildly in the Homestuck catalog, from clean, simple chiptune tracks to epic, solid walls of sound. Sburb strips the music down to its barest.

There aren’t monster hooks or hits to be found. But that’s not what the album’s all about. Of all the compositions released in the library, this is the most cohesive, the one that works best as a single movement. It’s a professional, original recital. And it’s terribly intimate. No booming bass, no complex synth beat-box rhythms. Just one piano.

Usually when I rate music, I listen through once, mark off the songs I like in particular, then put it on continuous play for a while to better shape my opinion. I’ve listened to the album many times, and I find myself lost in the singular 30-minute arrangement each time. There’s no duds, no masterstrokes. Just a fine collection of piano music.

Click here for individual song reviews for Sburb.