Trees Speak TimeFold
Trees Speak's TimeFold arrives as a compact, cinematic set of miniature soundtracks that trade excess for precision, and critics find it largely successful. Across professional reviews the record earned an 80/100 consensus score from one review, with PopMatters highlighting clear debts to Giorgio Moroder and Tangerine Dream while applauding concise songwriting and a desertic atmosphere. Critics consistently frame several tracks as the collection's focal points, naming “Among Us” and the title cut “TimeFold” as standout songs alongside pulse-driven pieces like “Prodrome” and “Digital Oracle”.
Reviewers note how retro synth influences shape the album's tone without turning it into pastiche, producing evocative, filmic vignettes rather than sprawling suites. The critical consensus emphasizes the strength of the shorter compositions, calling them intimate mini-movies that evoke wide, arid landscapes while remaining tightly arranged. While PopMatters foregrounds influence and atmosphere more than lyrical revelation, the review praises the record's ability to suggest stories within compact instrumental frames.
For readers asking whether TimeFold is good, the professional reviews suggest it is a rewarding, sharply produced outing best appreciated for its standout tracks “Among Us”, “TimeFold” and “Prodrome”. Below, the full review unpackages how Trees Speak balances homage and originality in a concise, cinematic collection.
Critics' Top Tracks
The standout songs that made critics take notice
Among Us
1 mention
"they let those keys and drums play a repeated figure so uplifting it’s nearly overwhelming"— PopMatters
TimeFold
1 mention
"first seconds of Timefold, Trees Speak’s sixth Soul Jazz-released LP’s opening title track, conjures Moroder, Tangerine Dream"— PopMatters
Prodrome
1 mention
"“Timefold” literally melts right into “Prodrome”, which adds a chattering drum kit"— PopMatters
they let those keys and drums play a repeated figure so uplifting it’s nearly overwhelming
Track Ratings
How critics rated each track, relative to this album (0-100). Only tracks that made critics feel something are rated.
TimeFold
Prodrome
Digital Oracle
Emotion Engine
Phenomena
Psychic State
Xenoworld
Post Truth
Chronosphere
Among Us
Entity System
Cybernetics
They Know
Synchrotron
Dreamless
Silicon Visions
Forever Chemicals
What Critics Are Saying
Deep insights from 2 critics who reviewed this album
Critic's Take
Bruce Miller writes in a conversational, slightly scholarly tone that foregrounds influences while singling out the strongest moments. On TimeFold he hears clear debts to Moroder and Tangerine Dream but praises concise songwriting, pointing to “Timefold” and especially “Among Us” as high points. He frames the album as miniature soundtracks, intimate and cinematic rather than indulgent, and recommends these best tracks for listeners seeking the best songs on TimeFold. The voice stays measured, mixing evocative desert imagery with precise musical description.
Key Points
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“Among Us” is the best song because its repeated keys and drums create an almost overwhelming, uplifted moment.
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The album’s core strengths are concise, cinematic synth compositions that channel vintage electronic influences into compact mini-movies.
Themes
