Mid-Air Thief made a name for themselves when their debut album, Gongjoong Doduk, received heavy praise within the indie world upon its release in 2015. Experimenting with a fusion of folk and electronic music, they blurred the lines between genres to create something truly unique. With their follow-up album, Crumbling, Mid-Air Thief has perfected the techniques and sonic themes explored in their previous musical playground.

Standout Tracks: Why?, These Chains, Crumbling Together

The opening track Why? perfectly sets up the sounds of this album. On it, Mid-Air Thief introduces some of the sonic themes present through the first half of the album. Alternating between peaceful, ambient folk ballads and high-energy electronic segments, this lays down the foundation for the next few. Following the opener, These Chains is another highlight of this record. This track feels monumental. Layers and layers of psychedelic synthesizers on top of pristine acoustic guitars drive the listener through a rollercoaster of pure, unadulterated exhilaration and joy. The sheer complexity of the arrangement fills it with so much depth that, with each subsequent listen, you can find yourself peeling back new unheard details. Here Mid-Air Thief shows off his greatest skill: a natural talent for creating dense and intricate compositions that manage to sound completely weightless at the same time.

The album's centerpiece is the 9-minute epic, Crumbling Together. The beautiful chord progression leading a cacophony of unbelievable synths make this track an all time favorite. The lyrics on this song tell a tragic tale of two former lovers. The story of a failing relationship, one falling apart with no real hope of it working out in the end. The narrator asks themselves time and time again: Why? Why give som much effort to rebuild when there is no trust? Why keep trying when we both know it won't help? Why keep holding on? The stunning storytelling accompanying the otherworldly instrumentation makes this one of the memorable songs in recent history, one sure to strike at anyone's heartstrings.

The second half of this album continues with a very similar energy to the first, though the juxtapositions between downtempo and fast paced movements are not as prevalent anymore. The songs evoke a more somber tone, while still maintaining that signature mesh of folk and electronic music. One particular aspect that Mid-Air Thief excels at on Crumbling is his ability to fuse genres. Not once do songs feel like folk with some little hints of electronic music or vice versa, it’s a completely unique sound and feeling. With this album, Mid-Air Thief has a very clear intention for what world he wants to bring you in and how he will do it.

Final Verdict: instant classic - With its only pitfall being the language barrier (Google Translate is your friend) Crumbling, is a masterwork that will be remembered in the indie scene for years to come. Crystalline instrumentation, mind-bending chord progressions, insightful lyrics, and transcendental synthesizers make this album one of the best to come from the 2010s.