The history behind Ringfinger's Decimal is rather interesting. Tracy Wilson, whom some of you may remember from Dahlia Seed, started the project shortly after the demise of her former group. Wilson originally wrote and recorded rough versions of these songs before seeking out many close friends to add, tweak, dismantle, and/or reassemble the songs with their own artistic insights. Now, nearly a decade later we have the final product. Decimal is a twelve-song adventure into the world of ambient indie rock, which is accented with various aspects of numerous sounds - shoegaze, drone, emo, post-rock, etc
"Typewriter Tourist" is the first song and its sound is a generalized blueprint for what you will hear throughout the entire album. Wilson wrote this song, like she did every one on the album, but she then passed them along to her friends to do as they pleased. On the opening number, Cam DiNunzio and Jonathan Fuller of Denali offer their musical services as they deliver an upbeat indie pop number. "Waving Good-Bye" follows and ventures in a slightly different direction; things are a bit more eerie and offbeat - think Post-era Björk.
"Joy Lingers" is the first of several collaborations with Steven Brodsky, this time he only adds to the musical output. The song is very relaxed and mellowed compared to the previous numbers. It kind of reminded me a tad of Massive Attack. "Viking Funeral" is one of the standout numbers with its dark lyrics and equally as unsettling sound that bears a slight resemblance to what Justin Broadrick is doing with Jesu.
Wilson's "Landing Strip" has been reworked by Rex Ritter of Sunn0))) fame. There are aspects of the drone-master's band layered underneath the song in the low-end and keys, but when partnered with Wilson's soft melodies, the end result is more than enjoyable.
"Pin Me Down" is another Brodsky collab - this one has Brodsky offering his vocal talents to the entire number. Obviously comparisons to his body of work are going to be made here. It's always interesting to hear Brodsky sing, even if it's over electro-indie-pop.
"(I) Miss Me" is one of the more experimental numbers, no surprise when you see Oktopus of Dälek's name attached. "Elegant Excuse" is a nice mellow shoegaze piece while "AWOL w/ Adore" is an electro/synth number that draws comparisons to 27's body of work. The remaining songs conclude in similar nature as they seem to blend together all of Wilson's influences, closer "Death Star" is another of the highlight moments of the album.
Decimal is a fairly strong album given the fact that so many individuals had a part in its development and construction. While I feel that the many hands does give it a bit of diversity, it also leaves the album feeling a bit disjointed and overloaded with outside insight, thus lacking an overall focus in direction. Nevertheless, Decimal is a pleasant listening experience for times when you just want to relax.
