Rival Consoles Landscape From Memory
Rival Consoles's Landscape From Memory pairs technical bravura with unexpected warmth, staking a claim as one of the more compelling electronic records of 2025. Across the album Lewis Wade of The Skinny highlights percussion virtuosity and analogue synth exploration as the record's driving forces, and identifies “Catherine” and “Gaivotas” as its emotional and rhythmic high points. The quick verdict implied by the review: yes, Landscape From Memory is good, rewarded with an 80/100 consensus score from one professional review that praises both craft and feeling.
Critics consistently note intricate programming and cinematic, slightly dystopian atmospheres threading the album. “Catherine” emerges as a direct, expansive centrepiece where analogue textures pre-empt the album's ingenuity, while “Gaivotas” showcases elaborate percussion programming and rhythmic invention. Other standout tracks mentioned by reviewers include “If Not Now”, “Drum Song” and “Known Shape”, each cited for surprising touches and a balance between mechanised precision and emotional openness.
While the professional reception is based on a single detailed review, the critical consensus in that appraisal emphasizes West's ability to fuse meticulous sound design with genuine feeling, yielding a record that rewards repeated listens. For readers searching for a focused Landscape From Memory review or wondering what the best songs on Landscape From Memory are, start with “Catherine” and “Gaivotas” before exploring the album's quieter, more introspective moments. This introduction leads into the full review below, which unpacks the album's textures, rhythms and emotional reach in greater detail.
Critics' Top Tracks
The standout songs that made critics take notice
Catherine
1 mention
"Catherine speaks directly to the object of the album's attentions"— The Skinny
Gaivotas
1 mention
"Gaivotas demonstrates West's touch with elaborate percussion programming"— The Skinny
If Not Now
1 mention
"Listen to: Catherine, Gaivotas, If Not Now"— The Skinny
Catherine speaks directly to the object of the album's attentions
Track Ratings
How critics rated each track, relative to this album (0-100). Only tracks that made critics feel something are rated.
In Reverse
Catherine
Drum Song
Soft Gradient Beckons
Gaivotas
Coda
Known Shape
Nocturne
Jupiter
In a Trance
If Not Now
2 Forms
Tape Loop
Landscape from Memory
What Critics Are Saying
Deep insights from 3 critics who reviewed this album
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Critic's Take
In a warm, observant voice Lewis Wade finds the best songs on Landscape From Memory to be those that marry technical ingenuity with feeling - chief among them “Catherine” and “Gaivotas”. He heaps praise on “Catherine” as a direct, expansive centrepiece whose synths pre-empt the album's ingenuity, and celebrates “Gaivotas” for its elaborate percussion programming. The reviewer also flags “If Not Now” as a recommended listen, noting that West still supplies unique and surprising touches across the long runtime.
Key Points
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The best song, “Catherine”, is singled out for expansive synths and direct emotional focus, making it the album's centrepiece.
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The album's core strengths are intricate analogue programming, inventive percussion, and cinematic textures that balance technical prowess with emotional openness.
Themes
