For any collector of music on vinyl, a scratch or a skip can be a heartbreaking sound. Conversely, there is a certain comfort in hearing the familiar static of a well-loved album, where each crack or pop is worn into memory alongside the instruments or vocals. These imperfections really become their own instrument. By adding guitar embellishment and emphasizing the innate familiarity of their worn samples, the Fun Years succeed in harnessing the sounds of decomposing vinyl into their own welcoming sound.

To start, it should be clear that ?Life-Sized Psychoses? is best enjoyed as one long piece of music. The song breaks are more of a formality, signifying the arrival of new ideas or sounds to the overall equation. Almost surprisingly, the only instruments put to use on the album are the turntables of Isaac Sparks and the baritone guitar of Ben Recht. The sound produced, on the one hand is very modern, but on the other hand, sits deeply in the past.

On the modern side, the sound loops and repeating grooves feel like they could be put to use as high-quality hip-hop beats. Indeed, much of the music here would not feel at all out of place on a downtempo Wu-Tang or D?lek track. Additionally, there is a feeling of contemporary experimental music with the heavy emphasis on drones, ambience, loops, and other sound textures. While, the turntable?s repeating tones and samples contribute greatly to this sound, the guitar also lends heaps of groovy and abstract sounds. Each half of the instrumental equation seems to compensate for the other, depending on the musical landscape of the moment. When there is more of a beat coming from the turntables, the guitar is less predictable, but when the vinyl sample is more abstract, the guitar locks into a tighter rhythm.

The antique sound most obviously rises from the pieces of ancient, scratched vinyl that are sampled. As it so often does, the record fuzz works becomes its own instrument in every part. Each sample of instrument or voice comes along with its own set of static that repeats to form a layer of light percussion, almost like light brushes on a snare drum. Each scratch and imperfection in the sample quickly becomes well-trod territory to the listener and soon, every sound is anticipated, until a new one rolls in to replace it. There are many compelling layers of sound to peel back on this album, but really ?Life-Sized Psychoses? stands out because it caters to both new and familiar feelings at the same time. 8/10 -- Matt Blackall (8 May, 2007)