“Arbitrary Ambiguity” is the 11th studio album released by alternative artist Keith Lynch, who goes by the name of Unknown Component. This recent album delves into his strong electronic and independent roots, with a healthy mixture of instrumental work that allows the music to flow naturally.
The album follows suit of his 2012 release “Blood v. Electricity,” in the sense that the focus has shifted to a heavier electronic emphasis. This change pays off as the new material pushes his career forward, while paying homage to his roots. Various elements of this album remind me of a mixture somewhere between Radiohead and Nine Inch Nails.
What is impressive is that Lynch is credited with mixing and recording all the instrumentals for the album. This effort shines through the album with the meticulous attention to detail in the music and even the subtlety of the lyrics, which intertwine perfectly with the background music.
However, at certain times I lost focus of the lyrics and instead analyzed the complex rhythm that Lynch has concocted. This is especially evident in “Draw the Line,” which allows the song to flow almost like a wave with complexity at certain parts of the song that eventually recede out to a melancholic beat. “Arbitrary Ambiguity” is especially fantastic at providing an apocalyptic edge to the construct of his music in the presentation of the savvy drumming and solid piano work.
Despite all the powerful pieces in Lynch’s latest piece of work, the album falls short of creative genius with a relatively similar beat that flows through the music and the same monotonous singing that is exuded. Lynch seems to not deviate from this formula throughout the album, which almost leaves it stale and bitter by the end. It is saddening because it falls in the pit of typical indie music of which is usually generic in rhythm.
With that being said, “Arbitrary Ambiguity” is nowhere near being a bad album, it just falls short of its true potential. What I must commend Lynch on is establishing a really unique sound that is evident of his talent. Lynch has established himself by now as an extraordinary audio engineer and a crafter of solid beats. Now, Lynch must focus on strengthening his songwriting abilities, while also plotting new beats that will be able to hook in listeners for more aural pleasure.
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