- It's easy to imagine the title I'm Alright Mate as a response to Larry McCarthy's last release, The Trouble With Wilderness. A wistful breakup record, the EP saw McCarthy wearing his heart on his sleeve with tender broken beats. On I'm Alright Mate, the man better known as Bruce returns to his usual sound, with inventive drum programming, stop-start songwriting and wiry FX that make for disorienting dance music.
By now there's something of a recognizable Bruce formula, but McCarthy shakes it up enough to keep things fresh. "I'm Alright Mate" features happy drums and stretchy, springy synths—it wouldn't be out of place in an Objekt set. The track's all about fake-outs: on two separate occasions Bruce cuts the volume only to bring everything back in, which is especially gratifying once the squall comes after the second dropout.
"I'm Alright Mate" is visceral and satisfying, a counterpoint to the floaty weirdness of records like Steals. McCarthy sinks into a sleepier state on "Post Rave Wrestle," which creeps like an oil slick across the ocean surface. The way the track's low-key drums keep the momentum going without a kick is addictive, to say nothing of the weird sounds that bloom over top. In a Bristol scene already packed with artists cleverly dismantling techno, I'm Alright Mate is further proof that McCarthy belongs at the top of the heap.
TracklistA I'm Alright Mate
B Post Rave Wrestle