Regardless of who's actually responsible for the work, Burial creates a dark, but vibrant, chillout atmosphere on their second album. The mystery DJ's Untrue is haunting, mellow, smooth, and full of hair-raising house beats. The act of winding down an ultra-modern night gets an original twist thanks to Burial's eccentric effects.
With wispy synths and the voices of echoed divas wailing with a mournful tone, Untrue is more disenchanted electronic album than the usual. "Archangel" has a cold house rhythm while a pained voice squeezes out a serenade. "Near Dark" has a flatter progression, and even more effects intertwined with a faded voice. "Ghost Hardware" is even darker than those.
Untrue's heartbeat barely accelerates over that of a sloth, but creates a deep feeling of imagination within the relaxation. "Etched Headplate" has a distorted vocal track that coasts along while a deep tone bubbles up and clicks skirt by reminiscent of an metallic jungle. Most of the rest of the album is along a similar theme, which mostly soothes while essentially wiping the palette clean and leading the listener towards vivid imagery.
Untrue's charm isn't in the tempo or the mood as much as the way it leaves so much up to the imagination. Its music is art, but the listener has a role in the art, too. Listening to the album requires filling in the gaps with illusions and senses, and few albums allow that in such a smart way.
