Once upon a time, computer games didn't rely on graphics to suck you in. The first Text Adventure, a game which relied on your imagination to unfold it's magic, has formed the inspiration for our favourite release of the year so far. The second album by David Roy and Stephen Scott, I Believe in Lassies is a homage to lo-fi brilliance in a world gone pro-tools mad. You see, it's about addressing the simple things. IBIL is a record about girls by boys too shy to talk to them in person, and one that communicates in an aching swirl of acoustic and digital lo-fi, the longing of not only meeting that spry-eyed girlie, but actually being able to say hi. What must be a crippling disability for David and Stephen, is a blessing for the rest of us, as we get treated to 10 tracks bursting with the self-confidence that can only come from living in hope. Crafted from acoustic guitar, Casio keyboards, circuit bent speak and spell machines, and live drums recorded to a 'very, very old 8-track.' the songs have a layered aesthetic in the vein of Adem and Tunng. But this is more than an exercise in nerdy bedroom electronica. With collaboration comes perspective, and Stephen's vocals liberate David's soundscapes, adding a psychedelic edge in the vein of My Bloody Valentine, but with a dose of skewed realism.
