Good album art is downright lovely at times. Go pick up an Efterklang or Joy Wants Eternity record and not only will you find great music in an attractive cover, but that the two forms of art mirror each other. You can tell what type of music those albums will be just by absorbing the way they are presented, and after listening to the album, the unity of the music and art is unmistakable. The meaning and power of each form of art grows when they are twinned, resulting in a work that is greater than the sum of its parts.

Australian artist Boy is Fiction ties his art to his music so tightly that they’re closer to Siamese twins than the identical ones of other artists. The dark, pock-marked concrete wall on the cover, with the similarly-colored rectangular corrugated tin nailed to part of this wall evoke and reflect the dirty, industrial simplicity of the self-titled debut. At times sedate, at times paranoid, but always effective, the album is perfect for moonlight walks through “streets that follow like a tedious argument of insidious intent” or a deserted industrial park.

Album opener “BiF vs 307” wastes no time in setting the tone for the album, with light keys dancing from the start, creating a subtle hint of paranoia that may be overshadowed by the relaxed, confident beauty the rest of the track exudes. By the time the dirty, industrial programmed beats come in, there is no turning back – the track is burned into your mind, leaving you clamoring for more. Reversed vocal samples are used to great effect on “Why Did You Do That?” and “Stack is Bad,” adding an eerie feel to the tracks while flowing perfectly with the beats. Praise is due to “Should Have Stopped,” undoubtedly the standout track of the album. All the grit, fear, and beauty of the tracks before and after it flow into the dark underlying drone and nagging keys. This is the kind of track that will leave you looking over your shoulder at night, eyeing nervously anyone who happens to cross your path.

This album is the perfect soundtrack to modernism, with all its self-doubt and loss of faith, always seeking something but losing it in a haze of smog and machinery. Though a few of the longer tracks overstay their welcome, this is a solid debut album that is difficult to avoid getting wrapped up in. I, for one, can’t wait to see the next album’s cover.

-Zach Mills